This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player’s percentile rank. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
Detailed
Grouped
Side
The bars represents the team’s percentile rank (based on QB Rating Against). The longer the bar, the better their pass defense is. The team and position group ratings only include players that are currently on the roster and not on injured reserve. The list of players in the table only includes defenders with at least 3 attempts against them.
vs Raiders
Sunday, Dec 29th at 1:00PM
Overall QB Rating Against
88.1
Cornerbacks
87.7
Safeties
90.5
Linebackers
86.4
Olave went 11th overall in the 2022 draft and came right out of the gate with a 1,000-yard season, quickly becoming the top receiving option in a run-first New Orleans offense with Andy Dalton taking most of the QB snaps. A step forward in 2023 seems likely, especially with Derek Carr replacing Dalton and providing at least a modest upgrade, though there’s also a bit more competition for targets after fellow rookie Rashid Shaheed emerged as a legit threat late last season and Michael Thomas decided to stick around in New Orleans for another year. Still, it’s far from the worst situation in terms of target competition, as Juwan Johnson is far from a dominant force at tight end and Thomas might only be WR2 to Olave’s WR1 even if the veteran stays healthy (a huge “if”). There’s also the matter of Olave primarily working downfield and intermediate routes, whereas even the peak version of Thomas was sometimes derided from his reliance on slants and other quick-hitters. Olave’s 4.39 speed and impressive ball skills should set him apart from the rest of the pack in the Bayou.
The Saints took Olave at No. 11 overall, one pick after college teammate Garrett Wilson. Statistically, the two were similar, though Olave arrived a season earlier and had less of an impact as a true freshman. Four years later, Olave is well prepared for the NFL, after putting up 1,665 yards and 20 TDs in 18 games in his final two collegiate seasons. He then ran a 4.39 40 at the combine — a strong time even for a thinner receiver (6-1, 189) — but had a middling broad jump (125 inches) and the fourth-lowest vertical (32 inches) of any WR. High jumper or not, Olave should be the Saints’ main downfield threat while Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry run mostly shorter routes. The team also has Marquez Callaway, Tre’Quan Smith and speedy Deonte Harris in the mix, and the QB situation remains subpar with Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton. It’s a tough path to rookie-year fantasy stardom, but not an impossible one if Thomas and Landry prove to be only shadows of their former selves.
