Chris Olave debuts at No. 64 on NFL Top 100 list

The New Orleans Saints have another marker of momentum heading into the new NFL offseason. On July 16, the team announced that wide receiver Chris Olave has been ranked No. 64 on the annual NFL Top 100 list, the first time in his career he has made the publication’s player rankings.

Olave’s debut on the Top 100 comes on the heels of what the Saints described as an All-Pro season in 2025. That matters because the Top 100 is built to capture how NFL players evaluate one another after a full year on tape, and landing on the list suggests the next tier of respect is already locked in for the 2026 season.

For the Saints, Olave’s ranking also carries context. New Orleans has relied heavily on its ability to produce downfield threats and to keep defenses from settling into safe, underneath looks. A wide receiver who is repeatedly viewed among the league’s top players helps shape how opponents prepare, even before training camp begins.

The No. 64 slot is not at the very top of the list, but it is a meaningful threshold for a player entering the next stage of his career. Olave is no longer being treated as an emerging talent who might break out. Instead, he is being rated as a completed, impact-level starter who belongs in the conversation across the league.

Olave’s position as a Saints perimeter playmaker also matters to the offense’s overall structure. When an offense can credibly push coverage vertically, it forces matchups to be made and coverage disguises to be used more often than teams would prefer. That, in turn, can open up shorter options, tighten the space for defensive rotation, and raise the value of play-action concepts.

In practical terms, a Top 100 appearance can create expectations within the building, especially for a player who is already a focal point for the passing game. The Saints will likely treat the ranking as affirmation while still pushing for consistency, because the NFL’s evaluations reset every season and roster roles evolve as quarterbacks, coordinators, and opponents change.

What to watch next is whether Olave can build on the All-Pro foundation referenced by New Orleans and convert that league-wide recognition into production that shows up in the team’s offseason work. If the Saints continue to structure the passing attack around him, the No. 64 debut could be the first of several steps upward.

For now, the headline is straightforward: Olave has made the NFL Top 100 for the first time, ranked No. 64, after a 2025 season that New Orleans characterized as All-Pro caliber. That is the kind of accomplishment that sets the tone as a team prepares for the next chapter.