In Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel, the Commanders already employ two former Ohio State receivers on their offense.

This year's NFL Draft presents an opportunity for the club to increase that number.

With Washington currently sitting at 11th overall in the late-April order, the franchise appears well-positioned to have a chance at adding Garrett Wilson or Chris Olave, two Buckeyes wideouts that are regarded as surefire first-round choices. 

In an interview with the Washington Football Talk podcast, Ohio State beat writer Bill Rabinowitz gave a scouting report on those two targets.

"[Wilson's] a natural," Rabinowitz said. "The thing that stands out to me about him at receiver is his body control. He’s not the biggest guy... but when he’s one-on-one with a defender, he’s going to get that ball. He just has a catch radius that’s unbelievable, and he just makes the acrobatic look routine."

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"Olave’s more of a pure, straight-line speed guy," Rabinowitz later explained. "[He's] not a one-trick pony, either. He can catch balls over the middle, he can do all that stuff, too, he’s just not as good after the catch as Wilson is... But you give him a crack and he’s gone."

Each prospect is coming off of a standout 2021 campaign. Wilson caught 70 balls for 1,058 yards and 12 scores, while Olave nabbed 65 passes for 936 yards and 13 touchdowns. 

Clearly, the Commanders would benefit from acquiring either threat, but according to Rabinowitz, Wilson possesses just a little more appeal.

"If I were starting a team, I’d be happy with either one of them," he told the podcast. "I’d probably go with Wilson just because he’s a year younger in terms of experience, so maybe a little more room to grow. He’s stronger after the catch, he can make guys miss easier than Olave because of his moves and just kind of a fun factor, watching him make these incredible catches routinely is just kind of fun to watch."

Since Rabinowitz has covered OSU for The Columbus Dispatch for years, he watched Terry McLaurin in college before Washington landed him in 2019. And while Rabinowitz admitted he hasn't kept up with McLaurin all that closely since McLaurin joined the pros, he additionally thinks Wilson's skill set would work better with the Commanders' best aerial option.

"I would say Wilson," Rabinowitz answered when asked about who'd fit more seamlessly alongside McLaurin. "He’s more of an elusive, catch the ball [on] slants, that kind of thing and [will] make people miss."

Rabinowitz's last piece of intel about the pair of Buckeyes had to do with their personalities, and going off of his assessment, they'd assimilate nicely with Rivera, a coach who values strong character. 

"Both of these guys seem to care about the people around them," he said. "No off-the-field issues at all with either of these guys."

If Wilson falls to 11, the Commanders could have a very easy time on the clock. If he doesn't, however, Olave — whom some are comparing to McLaurin, conveniently enough — would likely be welcomed with open arms as well and could be a no-brainer if the organization is able to trade back in the first round while securing more capital. 

Rivera was already spotted at the school's pro day back in March, meaning he and his staff ought to have a serious feel for Wilson and Olave. By the end of this month, we'll see if the Columbus-to-Commanders pipeline is revived once again.