Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave is one of the top players at his position in the 2022 NFL Draft class, and he could be a target for the New England Patriots with the No. 21 overall pick in the first round.
Of course, there's a chance Olave doesn't last until the Patriots are on the clock. A bunch of recent mock drafts have Olave coming off the board before No. 21. One expert who has Olave going beyond the Patriots is ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., whose latest mock draft has Olave falling to the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 23 pick.
Perry's seven-round NFL Mock Draft: Forecasting every Patriots pick
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The Patriots are at least doing their due diligence. Olave confirmed Tuesday that he's met with the Patriots at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this week.
He also had plenty of praise for Patriots quarterback Mac Jones.
If the Buckeyes star does slip a bit, the Patriots would be wise to strongly consider selecting him and upgrading at wide receiver. It's an area the Patriots need to boost through the draft, and luckily for them, the talent and depth at the position is pretty strong in this class. We could see four or more wideouts taken in Round 1.
Olave is an excellent route runner who set career highs with 65 receptions, 936 yards and 13 touchdowns for Ohio State last season.
New England Patriots
The Patriots have met with many wide receivers at the Scouting Combine in addition to Olave. This list includes Slade Bolden and John Metchie of Alabama, Treylon Burks of Arkansas, among others.