New Orleans moved from No. 16 to No. 11 in 2022 for Chris…
New Orleans moved from No. 16 to No. 11 in 2022 for Chris Olave, sending Washington third- and fourth-round picks in the process. Olave has 291 catches for 3,728 yards and 19 touchdowns through four seasons, earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2025 and signed a new extension in 2026. Washington received meaningful value from Jahan Dotson and Brian Robinson Jr., but Olave became the best player in the transaction.
New Orleans Saints Received
- pick 2022 1st round pick (11th overall, Chris Olave)
Washington Commanders Received
- pick 2022 1st round pick (16th overall, Jahan Dotson ), 2022 3rd round pick (98th overall, Brian Robinson) and 2022 4th round pick (120th overall subsequently traded, Brandon Smith )
Trade Analysis
New Orleans entered the 2022 draft determined to add a premier receiver and moved from No. 16 to No. 11 when Chris Olave remained available. The Saints sent Washington picks 16, 98 and 120. New Orleans selected Olave, while Washington used No. 16 on Jahan Dotson and No. 98 on Brian Robinson Jr.; the fourth-round selection was later moved again.
Olave has justified the aggressive move. He topped 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons, then had a concussion-shortened 2024 in which he appeared in only eight games. He rebounded in 2025 with 100 receptions for 1,163 yards and nine touchdowns, earning Associated Press second-team All-Pro honors. Through four seasons he has 291 catches for 3,728 yards and 19 touchdowns. New Orleans reinforced his long-term value by signing him to a multiyear extension in July 2026.
Washington's return was far from empty. Dotson caught 84 passes for 1,041 yards and 11 touchdowns in 29 games for the Commanders. In 2024, Washington traded Dotson and a fifth-round pick to Philadelphia for a third-round pick and two sevenths, extending his value beyond his playing tenure. Robinson became an even more productive piece, rushing for 2,329 yards with 15 touchdowns and adding 587 receiving yards and five scores in 41 games before Washington traded him to San Francisco for a sixth-round pick in 2025.
That gives the Commanders a respectable volume-based return, but the Saints acquired the premium player. Olave is younger than the typical veteran trade target, has already earned league-wide honors and remains under contract entering his prime.
The original B/C grading undersold both sides. New Orleans deserves an A, while Washington rises to B because Dotson, Robinson and later trade capital produced real value. The Saints still win because Olave became the highest-impact and most durable asset.