HEADLINES

Chris Olave

Eagles Hosting WR Chris Olave

April 14th, 2022 at 9:00am CST by Adam La Rose

For the second time this week, there is a high-profile receiving prospect meeting the Eagles. Philadelphia is hosting a visit with Chris Olave today (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter).

[RELATED: Eagles Host WRs Williams, Pickens]

The Eagles have already hosted Alabama alum Jameson Williams, signalling a willingness to draft a wideout in the first round for a third consecutive year. Jalen Reagor has had a disappointing start to his NFL career, leading to his name being involved in trade speculation. DeVonta Smith, on the other hand, had a productive rookie campaign, but the team actively tried to add an impact veteran to the WR room.

With the draft becoming the best way to do so this late in the offseason, it comes as no surprise that Philadelphia is doing their due diligence at the position. The team owns picks No. 15 and 18 after their trade with the Saints last week. That should give them a chance to land Olave, who is generally rated behind USC’s Drake London and fellow Ohio St. product Garrett Wilson.

In four years with the Buckeyes, Olave put up consistent receiving numbers despite a healthy competition for targets. In his final three campaigns, he totalled 163 receptions for 2,505 yards and 32 touchdowns. That has placed him in the mid-first round conversation, and drawn the interest of the Cowboys and Commanders; each team has already hosted him. Philadelphia is becoming the third NFC East team to do so, as they continue to eye additions to their pass-catching corps.

WR Draft Notes: Commanders, Cowboys, Bucs, Saints, Jets

April 5th, 2022 at 4:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of two Ohio State wide receivers expected to become first-round picks later this month, Chris Olave will tour two NFC East teams’ facilities this week. The Cowboys are hosting Olave on a visit Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The former Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud pass catcher will also meet with the Commanders on Thursday, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. Olave and Terry McLaurin were teammates in 2018, Olave’s freshman year, and Breer adds the wideouts are close. Having traded for Carson Wentz, the Commanders (pick No. 11) are in need of a complementary pass catcher alongside McLaurin. They have not chosen a first-round wideout since Josh Doctson in 2016. The Cowboys (No. 24) have pulled the trigger on a first-round wideout recently — CeeDee Lamb in 2020 — but Jerry Jones based the Amari Cooper trade on resource allocation, and Dallas adding a low-cost wideout alongside Lamb and the rehabbing Michael Gallup would make sense. Though, the Cowboys are interested in offensive linemen as well.

Here is the latest from the wide receiver draft landscape:

  • Also ranked as a first-round prospect, Arkansas’ Treylon Burks is meeting with a few teams this week. The Cowboys hosted the 225-pound playmaker Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, adding that the Buccaneers will meet with Burks later this week. The Saints are also hosted the 6-foot-2 target last week, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football tweets. It would surprise if the Bucs (No. 27) went wideout in Round 1, given their Mike Evans–Chris Godwin–Russell Gage setup, but the team could use a cheap building block due to employing three eight-figure-per-year wideouts. The Saints (Nos. 16, 19) are rather desperate for receiving help, with Michael Thomas having run into significant injury trouble over the past two years. New Orleans now has two first-round picks, putting wideout squarely in play.
  • Also holding two first-round selections, the Jets have met with this draft’s top-graded wideout (per Scouts Inc.). Checking in as the No. 6 overall prospect, Garrett Wilson visited the Jets on Monday, Schefter adds (on Twitter). Wilson and Olave formed a top-end duo last season, with the former leading the Buckeyes with 1,058 receiving yards. The Jets have the Nos. 4 and 10 picks and have been linked to receivers throughout the offseason.
  • The tallest of this year’s elite receiver prospects will hold a late pro day. Drake London pushed his pro day to April 15 due to a hamstring issue, Rapoport tweets. The 6-foot-3 USC product ranks as Scouts Inc.’s No. 9 overall prospect.
  • John Metchie checks in as a second-round prospect, but teams are still doing work on the Alabama contributor. The Commanders are using a “30” visit on Metchie on Friday, Breer adds. The former DeVonta Smith/Jaylen Waddle sidekick joins Crimson Tide first-round prospect Jameson Williams in coming off a major injury. A December ACL tear damaged Metchie’s draft stock.