NFL training camps: Wide receivers shine - Tyreek Hill, Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams
One of the most important parts of an NFL training camp is the progression of chemistry between a wide receiver and a quarterback before the coming season.
NFL training camps are in full swing and players are starting to get back into shape after a long offseason. One of the most important partnerships that need to develop during training camp is the relationship between quarterback and wide receiver.
Some of the star receivers shining brightest over the first few days of camp are players who are in the initial stages of creating a chemistry with new quarterbacks. There are rookies who are just entering the league and getting the hang of not just a new offense, but the speed and strength of the NFL even during preseason. Then there are vets who are taking on new roles as reference points in the offense.
Tyreek Hill
Tyreek Hill was one of transactions of the offseason. The super star receiver was one of top weapons on the league’s best offensive team over the last few years. He and Patrick Maholmes built a chemistry that was almost unstoppable, but that didn’t stop the Chiefs from trading away their best down field weapon to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for three draft picks next year and three picks the year after.
Hill is already starting to connect with his new quarterback Tua Tagoailoa in the first few days of camp, and that was never more evident than on this 65 yard pitch and catch from Saturday afternoon. Tua will have a stacked WR corp to work with this year with Hill and Jalen Waddle. Watch out for the Dolphins who showed flashes of brilliance last year, and will be looking to improve on that this year.
Chris Olave
The New Orleans Saints went WR with their first pick of the 2022 Draft. While the quarterback situation is murky in New Orleans at the moment, they wanted to make sure who ever is starting under center in Week 1 has a top target at the wide receiver spot.
In 11 games Olave caught 65 passes for 936 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Now he will team up with route runners Jarvis Landry and Michael Thomas, and it seems like he is fitting right in down in Louisiana. Yesterday he and Jamies Winston connected on this 60-yard bomb for a touchdown.
Garrett Wilson
Garrett Wilson is another WR making the jump from college to the pros. He shared targets with Chris Olave last year at Ohio State. He was selected by the New York Jets with the 10th pick in this year’s NFL Draft, one spot before Olave was picked.
The new partnership of Wilson and Wilson (Zac and Garrett) could be bearing fruit quite soon in the Meadowlands for J-E-T-S Jets fans. If this one handed catch is any indication, then it will make Zac Wilson’s job a lot easier this year.
Mike Williams
Mike Williams is enterning his fifth season with the Los Angeles Chargers. The former Clemson stand out is coming off of his best season in the NFL last year. He had a career high 76 catches, and 1,146 yards catching passes for Justin Herbert and the Chargers.
This year LA will look to make that next step in what is a brutal AFC West. He and Keenen Allen are the veterans on the team that will be the ones responsible for bringing the Chargers to the playoffs for the first time since 2018.