The wide receiver position looks much different for the LA Chargers now than it did a year ago. This time last year, the Chargers had one of the best one-two punches in the sport with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams as well as a promising first-round pick with a high ceiling in Quentin Johnston.
One year later the Chargers do not have a true No. 1 wide receiver and Johnston is on bust watch. Second-round wide receiver Ladd McConkey and fourth-year WR3 Joshua Palmer are tasked with carrying the load in the wide receiver room.
In a perfect world, the Chargers will hit the jackpot on a project receiver, most notably either Brenden Rice or Cornelius Johnson, both of whom were drafted in the seventh round. There is also the possibility of the Chargers striking gold on an undrafted free agent. Although less likely, it certainly is possible.
To take it another step further, the unlikeliest source of production could come from players who work out with the team, earn a chance to compete for a roster spot in training camp, and somehow make the 53-man roster. This is a massive uphill battle that very few players make and it is one that Praise Olatoke is looking to complete. The Chargers worked Olatoke out on Tuesday as he looks to make a lasting impression.
Chargers work out Praise Olatoke, who has game-breaking speed
Olatoke was named to the NFL's International Player Pathway class of 2024 as he looks to make an NFL roster without having any college football experience. Olatoke's only football experience in college came at the club level with Ohio State, which is quite the step down from actual college football.
That being said, Olatoke is still an elite athlete who has game-breaking speed to tap into. You need a lot more than speed to be an NFL wide receiver but it does help to have the figurative (and literal) head start of being one of the fastest players in the league.
A track star at Ohio State, Olatake ran a 10.29 100-meter dash during his senior season in 2022. In comparison, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf ran a 10.37 100-meter dash during the 2021 USATF Golden Games.
Metcalf is one of the fastest wide receivers in the league and has been clocked with a 4.33-second 40-yard dash. Olatoke is not the same physical specimen that Metcalf is but we know he has the same kind of speed.
It is much more likely than not that Olatoke is not going to sniff the 53-man roster and would be lucky to even fight for a practice squad spot. However, crazier things have happened in the NFL and the Chargers obviously think there is something there to give him a tryout in the first place.