Saints Trade Up to No. 11, Draft Ohio State WR Chris Olave

New Orleans parted with the No. 16 pick and a third and fourth rounder to move up and select the Ohio State receiver.
Saints Trade Up to No. 11, Draft Ohio State WR Chris Olave
Saints Trade Up to No. 11, Draft Ohio State WR Chris Olave /

The Commanders and Saints executed the first trade of the 2022 NFL draft on Thursday night when Washington traded the No. 11 overall pick to New Orleans for the No. 16 pick, the No. 98 overall pick in the third round and pick No. 120 in the fourth round.

Many expected the Saints to be in the quarterback market following the retirement of Drew Brees after the 2020 season and the rocky year the franchise had at the position in 2021 trying to replace him.

Instead, the Saints drafted Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave at No. 11. It was the second consecutive Buckeyes pass-catcher to come off the board, after the Jets selected Garrett Wilson at No. 10.

Olave hauled in 65 receptions for 936 yards and 13 touchdowns last season as he claimed first-team All-Big Ten honors for the second consecutive season. He was third-team All-Big Ten in 2019, as he emerged as one of the top receivers in program history.

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Mike McDaniel
MIKE MCDANIEL

Mike McDaniel is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where he has worked since January 2022. His work has been featured at InsideTheACC.com, SB Nation, FanSided and more. McDaniel hosts the Hokie Hangover Podcast, covering Virginia Tech athletics, as well as Basketball Conference: The ACC Football Podcast. Outside of work, he is a husband and father, and an avid golfer.