Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State

At pick 15 there are still a lot of excellent options on the board. The difficulty here is who do you want with your two picks and who do you expect to still be on the board between pick 15 and 18.

The Eagles have several positions of need. Although there’s a small but extremely vocal contingent who would rather draft a D3 quarterback than roll with Jalen Hurts ... we’re not drafting a quarterback. Hurts is our guy in 2022 and he most likely has the rest of the year to prove he’s the guy going forward. We have several holes that need to be filled on the roster. We are in real need to upgrade our WR group. We need a starting corner opposite Darius Slay. We also need a safety. And we finally need to take the LB position seriously.

At this point in the draft you have the following WRs still available for consideratio:

Garret Wilson – Ohio State

Chris Olave – Ohio State

Jameson Williams – Alabama

Treylon Burks - Arkansas

At linebacker: Devin Lloyd - Utah

At cornerback: Andrew Booth Jr. - Clemson

At safety: both Daxton Hill – Michigan and Lewis Cine – Georgia are still there.

So we have our options, but obviously I chose Chris Olave and here’s why.

I want to see Hurts succeed. Like him or not, him succeeding this year is our best possible outcome. In order to do that we need to surround him with everything needed to do that. Our O-line is one of the best in the league, ranked 4th by PFF. Our RBs are solid with Kenneth Gainwell and MIles Sanders. We could add a downhill runner but that’s not something you spend a premium pick on. Our tight end is excellent as Dallas Goedert is the 2nd ranked TE according to PFF. Our biggest glaring weakness on offense is our wide receiver group, which PFF ranked as 30th.

Outside of DeVonta Smith you’re looking at Jalen Reagor, Quez Watkins, Zach Pascal, Greg Ward and some guy who was running hurdles last week. Reagor is a disappointment to say the least. And the rest should be fighting for anywhere from WR3/4 to the practice squad on any other team. We need a legit wide receiver to pair with Smith

I’d like to go defense here, but the Saints are also listed as being in need of WR help, the Chargers will most likely go Left Tackle. I’d rather take my pick of the WRs and then take whichever defender I like best that falls to me. My preference would be Andrew Booth, but that’s up to my co-GM at No. 18.

Why Chris Olave?

Drake London was already selected. Williams has an injury, and although Landon Dickerson is working out for us, we all remember Sidney Jones. We need someone who can come in and play right away. Every draft pick is a risk, and adding an injury makes it even riskier. Burks is not nearly as polished of a route runner, has a limited route tree and issues with drops. Yes, you could argue for Wilson, and I was torn between the two Ohio State receivers and I’d be happy with either, but for me Olave has been doing it longer. I want to go with the most sure-fire pick and for me that’s is Olave. 3 straight seasons with over 700 yards in a crowded WR room, and holds the record for the most receiving TDs in Ohio State history. Chris Olave was expected to enter the draft last year, but returned to Ohio State to have an even bigger year than the last.

• 2018: 12 receptions, 197 yards, 3 touchdowns
• 2019: 49 receptions, 849 yards, 12 touchdowns
• 2020: 50 receptions, 729 yards, 7 touchdowns
• 2021: 65 receptions, 936 yards, 13 touchdowns

Chris Olave Career Highlights

He’s a 6ft, 187lb track star with a 4.39 sec 40 that shows up on the field as he consistently stretches the defense. So he would definitely open things up for DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert. Olave is also an excellent route runner and is not just limited to deep balls. The combination of Smith, Olave, Goedert, Quez and or another big bodied receiver, be it Pascal or a later draft pick would make for a powerful offense. This puts Jalen Hurts in the position to succeed or prove he’s just not the guy.

Various comparisons for Olave have been Terry McLaurin, Brandin Cooks, DeSean Jackson, and yes even DeVonta Smith. Not bad company to be in.

Chris Olave Combine Interview

Knocks on Olave have been that he’s not the biggest guy, but the more important question for us is not how tall is he, but can he get open, which he obviously can. Another issue is that he leaves much to be desired when it comes to run blocking. On the other hand, he’s often seen sprinting to top speed on running plays to clear out the defensive backs. He’s definitely not a lazy player

There were a lot of options at this pick, but for better or worse at least in this BGN world Chris Olave is the Eagles first pick of the 2022 and New Orleans is on the clock.

2022 BGN Mock Draft Order

1) Jaguars (HellBentOnHurts): DE Aidan Hutchinson
2) Lions (Friendly Neighborhood Philly Fan): DE Travon Walker
3) Texans (herbalonius): OT Evan Neal
4) Jets (RideHighTide): OT Ikem Ekwonu
5) Giants (Brendanekstrom): CB Ahmad Gardner
6) Panthers (Philliesandthebees): QB Kenny Pickett
7) Giants (Dr.MidnightGreen): DE Kayvon Thibodeaux
8) Falcons (Philly21): QB Malik Willis
9) Seahawks (chewy wellington) QB Matt Corral
10) Jets (tfrank9811): S Kyle Hamilton
11) Commanders (Negadelphia Norm): CB Derek Stingley Jr.
12) Vikings (Kephas): CB Trent McDuffie
13) Texans (Bdawk20rules): WR Drake London
14) Ravens (ablesser88): DT Jordan Davis
15) Eagles (Fly Like An Eagle): WR Chris Olave
16) Saints (20Safety_Hazard)
17) Chargers (LBCeaglesFan!)
18) Eagles (Phoenix X Minimus)
19) Saints (Georgia_eagle)
20) Steelers (EagleDomiNation)
21) Patriots (Domonate)
22) Packers (Leo Bedio)
23) Cardinals (big DUB)
24) Cowboys (joey2arms)
25) Bills (ItownBallers22)
26) Titans (BrianMcE03)
27) Buccaneers (4133Dave)
28) Packers (The Player Formerly Known as Mousecop)
29) Chiefs (GreenGrampa)
30) Chiefs (Legend of Nick Foles)
31) Bengals (Thedeuce9)
32) Lions (Dtechman44)

Now it’s time for you to vote for who YOU think should be selected next in the 2022 BGN Community Consensus Mock Draft.

1) Jaguars: DE Aidan Hutchinson
2) Lions: DE Kayvon Thibodeaux
3) Texans: OT Evan Neal
4) Jets: OT Ikem Ekwonu
5) Giants: OT Charles Cross
6) Panthers: QB Malik Willis
7) Giants: CB Ahmad Gardner
8) Falcons: QB Kenny Pickett
9) Seahawks: S Kyle Hamilton
10) Jets: DE Travon Walker
11) Commanders: CB Derek Stingley Jr.
12) Vikings: CB Trent McDuffie
13) Texans: DE Jermaine Johnson
14) Ravens: DT Jordan Davis
15) Eagles: