What are we really expecting from Olave in year 3?

Without seeing the numbers that have been presented earlier in this thread, my eyes told me that Olave's biggest area for potential improvement overall is in the contested catch category. There were quite a few balls over his first two seasons that he got his hands on, but couldn't quite pull in for the reception. Many of these "drops" (some of these would have been difficult catches regardless, so I am not sure if they would qualify definitively) were instances where he had essentially pulled them in, but didn't quite survive the ground. He does a great job of putting himself in position to make the catch in traffic, but hand and arm strength seemingly played a part in passes being incomplete rather than a reception.

Personally, I don't want Olave to get "bigger" overall, as the risk of losing speed and route-running agility - his greatest strengths - outweighs the potential upside. Olave isn't a possession receiver, and trying to put a square peg in a round hole in that respect would likely be a mistake. Improved hand and arm strength would do wonders for his game IMO, and he's not necessarily going to look bigger as these areas improve. He's still a young man, and players continue developing strength over their first several years within an NFL training program. I think he has a lot of potential to naturally improve in this area over the next couple of years.

Having said all that, trying to categorize him as a #1 or #2 is a pointless exercise. He has demonstrated the capability to produce at a level that warrants both distinctions. What IS important is that the Saints continue to develop the receiving core around him in a complementary manner. There are very few guys in the league who are elite at all three levels, capable of boxing defenders out as a possession receiver just as easily as they take the top off of a defense. Olave isn't one of those rare guys, even if he is a really, really good receiver. Someone on our roster, whether it's a WR or a TE, needs to function at a high level in a possession role and provide what we'd hoped that MT would have the last couple of seasons when the play breaks down and nobody is open.