Sports Illustrated Suggests Packers Trade for Former First-Round Receiver

Yes, the Green Bay Packers are coming off an offensive explosion, but is that sustainable against better defenses? In that light, with the trade deadline next month, SI.com proposed this trade for the Packers.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (12) hauls in a one-handed reception against the Packers in 2023. | USA Today NETWORK-Wisconsin

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Before the 2022 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers traded Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders. The trade left an unimaginably large void in Green Bay’s offense.

Armed with additional draft capital, would 2022 be the year the Packers finally used a first-round pick on a receiver?

The answer, of course, was no. The top four receivers in the draft class were taken in the top dozen picks – long before Green Bay was scheduled to go on the clock at No. 22. One of those receivers was Ohio State’s Chris Olave, who went to the Saints at No. 11 overall.

In a lookahead to the Nov. 4 trade deadline, Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame proposed one trade for every team. For the Packers, the proposal was acquiring Olave from the Saints for a second-round draft pick.

Would Chris Olave Help Packers?

Yes, Jordan Love had a huge game against the Cowboys on Sunday night, with his three touchdown passes to Romeo Doubs highlighting a 40-40 tie. However, as Verderame rightly pointed out, every quarterback torches the Cowboys.

In Week 2, the Giants’ Russell Wilson threw for 450 yards and three touchdowns in a 40-37 overtime loss at Dallas. Wilson was benched one week later. In Week 3, the Bears’ Caleb Williams threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns in a 31-14 win. Williams would have blown past 300 passing yards but, because of the lopsided nature of the game, he threw only five passes in the fourth quarter.

Love was 31-of-43 passing for 337 yards against Dallas. However, Love fattened his numbers in the screen game, where he was 12-of-13 for 106 yards. Plus, a flip into the flat to Josh Jacobs produced another 28 yards.

On passes to receivers, Love was 14-of-19 for 148 yards. Those were solid numbers, but it wasn’t as if Green Bay’s receivers were dominating their downfield matchups.

“Jordan Love needs another reliable playmaker, especially with Jayden Reed sidelined due to injury and rookie Matthew Golden still finding his footing in the NFL,” Verderame explained. “A trade for Olave would stretch the field for Love and extend the playbook for coach Matt LaFleur.”

The 25-year-old Olave had an excellent start to his career with 72 receptions for 1,042 yards and four touchdowns in 15 games as a rookie in 2022 and 87 receptions for 1,123 yards and five touchdowns in 2023.

Potential Problems With Trade

However, in 2024, he played in only eight games, missing the second half of the season due to his second concussion in the span of three weeks and his fourth since entering the NFL.

He called them “unlucky situations” during training camp.

“It was tough, man, at first. I ain’t never really sat out that long,” Olave said, noting he was cleared in December even though he didn’t return to game action. “That was really my first major injury. ... Just not being able to go and practice and go to meetings with my guys was the worst part, but I feel like I’m ready. I was training and lifting and everything in December. So, I feel like I’m good.”

This season with Spencer Rattler as the quarterback, Olave has caught 26 passes but for only 185 yards. He averaged less than 10 yards per catch in every game this season, including 10 catches for 57 yards in Week 3 against Seattle. The 5.7 yards per catch was tied for the sixth-lowest in NFL history by a receiver with 10-plus catches.

Last week against Buffalo, he scored his first touchdown of the season but also threw an interception.

Olave in 2026 is scheduled to play under the fifth-year option of $15.493 million.

“It’s going to be easy on them to make that (contract) decision when we get to the table,” Olave said of earning a contract extension.

The Packers have upcoming salary-cap issues. Moreover, after trading two first-round picks for Micah Parsons, that trade would leave Green Bay without picks in the first or second round.

On top of that, Green Bay’s receiver corps would be overflowing with players at full strength with Olave, Reed, Doubs, Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks, Savion Williams and Malik Heath. 

Fast and Productive

Before the 2022 NFL Draft, Olave measured 6-foot-1 and ran his 40 in 4.39 seconds.

“I think Olave is the cleaner, Green Bay dud,” one executive told Packers On SI before that draft. “He kind of reminds me of Greg Jennings a little bit. Not as great of a route-runner but smooth, consistent, great hands, very trustworthy. I know Aaron (Rodgers) would love him.”

The Packers have been without two of their top weapons at receiver. Reed suffered a broken collarbone in Week 2 but could return to practice in November. Watson, who was part of the same draft class as Olave, opened the season on the physically unable to perform list due to last year’s torn ACL.

He could start practicing when the Packers return to work on Monday following this week’s bye.

“I think we got a couple days, right?” to make that decision, coach Matt LaFleur said on Tuesday.

Combined, all of Green Bay’s receivers have caught 43 passes this season. The Rams’ Puka Nakua has 42 by himself. Olave is fifth with 26 catches.

In the 2022 draft class, Olave ranks third in catches, fourth in yards and sixth in touchdowns. Watson is 10th in catches, ninth in yards and fifth in touchdowns. Doubs is sixth in catches, sixth in yards and first in touchdowns. 

In other trade proposals, the Chicago Bears landed a premier defensive tackle, the Detroit Lions added a pass rusher and the Minnesota Vikings bolstered their offensive line.