Philadelphia Eagles Rumors: Howie Roseman has eyes for Chris Olave

Ah, late March; all the big-name free agents have signed their new contracts, and the NFL Draft is still a month away: Rumor season.

Every dinner a Philadelphia Eagles coach takes with a college quarterback is marquee news – just ask Kenny Pickett – and even hearsay on top of hearsay can get fans going in the hopes of getting a sneak peek at Howie Roseman’s draft strategy. While every rumor obviously won’t come true, as other teams want to draft players too, this year’s mill is particularly noteworthy because the Eagles have three first round picks in the top 20 and 10 overall picks in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Will the Philadelphia Eagles ultimately leave the first round of the NFL Draft with a new wide receiver? After only signing Zach Pascal, it’s certainly looking that way, and according to former tight end Clay Harbor, they have a specific player in mind who just performed his Pro Day at The Ohio State.

Would you like to see Chris Olave in a Philadelphia Eagles uniform?

Chris Olave is a wide receiver who can pretty much do it all. Measuring in at 6-foot, 187 pounds, Olave has 4.39 speed, consistent collegiate production at a good wide receiver school, and is a smooth route runner. While he isn’t gonna make anyone forget about big-bodied targets like Mike Williams any time soon, he should be able to start as a rookie either in the slot or as a flanker off the line.

I mean, goodness, when you’re compared to Terry McLaurin and Eagles draftee DeVonta Smith, you must be doing something right. Whether he’s the first, second, third, or even fourth wide receiver off the board, it’s clear some team is going to land an immediate upgrade to their receiving corps. Even a team like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who restock their cupboard fairly well in free agency.

If Chris Olave is the best player on the board at 15, 16, or 19 when the Eagles are on the clock, should he be in strong consideration to be selected? Oh yeah, you best believe it; when you’re as bereft of talent at a single position as the Eagles are at wide receiver, they can’t afford to come away from the draft without a premier playmaker, but if the team has options like Drake London or Treylon Burks, picking Olave might not be the best decision moving forward.

Why? Because someone needs to have size in their starting lineup.

Now sure, the presence of Zach Pascal makes that easier. Even if JJ Arcega-Whiteside finally has to find another home, the Eagles have at least one receiver over 6-foot-1 for Jalen Hurts to throw to. But really, Pascal is a great fourth option on a great team, and should probably be used as such following the draft.

Unless Quez Watkins can grow a few inches, finding a legit long-term X receiver is probably in Howie Roseman’s best interests.

For a team looking for a focal point wide receiver, like, say, the Green Bay Packers, Chris Olave would be a fantastic find in the bottom half in the first half. Fortunately, the Philadelphia Eagles already have that player in DeVonta Smith. While the duo can probably play decently well together, if a player like Drake London or Treylon Burks is on the board with a similar draft grade, securing their services would help to craft a more dynamic offense.