The Ohio State football program has become the place to be if you are an elite receiver, and the Buckeyes have been able to have some of the best in the world come through Columbus.
Players like Marvin Harrison Jr., who was named the 24 most-intriguing NFL players, and Michael Thomas are either set to explode or have exploded in the past, showcasing the type of talent that the Buckeyes have had on their roster.
With Week 1 of the new NFL season having commenced Thursday, let’s dive into a few former Buckeyes set for breakout years.
Garrett Wilson – New York Jets
Wilson has been in the NFL for two seasons after being the 10th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He has eclipsed 1,000 yards in both seasons with substandard quarterback play.
This season, he’s going to have a healthy Aaron Rodgers, who is a future Hall of Fame quarterback, throwing the ball his way. The 24-year-old is set for go for 1,400 yards, 100 receptions, and 10 touchdowns, none of which he’s done before in his career.
Chris Olave – New Orleans Saints
Olave has a similar story but to a lesser extent and with the Saints. Olave, who was the 11th overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, has gone north of 1,000 yards in both of his seasons.
Last season, he had a career-best 1,123 passing yards, and Alvin Kamara, the team’s lethal dual-threat back, was hurt for a chunk of that. The Saints are going to be healthy, and Olave should get plenty of targets.
He should see 140-plus passes thrown his way and could eclipse 1,200 yards with ease. A full offseason with Derek Carr in the organization will help too.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba – Seattle Seahawks
Tyler Lockett has been a force in Seattle for years, and he’s starting to get older. Couple that with Smith-Njigba expecting to see an expanded role in the offense, and the second-year receiver could be in for a breakout season.
He went for 63 receptions and 628 yards last season, so even topping 1,000 would be a significant jump in production. The Seahawks took him 20th overall in the 2023 NFL draft for a reason, and the 22-year-old has all the tools in his arsenal to shine.
Expect significantly more opportunity in the Seattle offense and an improvement on those rookie numbers.
