Greg Olsen's advice for NFL Draft first-round picks on handling high expectations

The 2026 NFL Draft is little than a week away, and prospects from each complete are hoping to perceive their names called, particularly connected Thursday nighttime successful nan first round.

Having nan "first-round pick" tag adjacent to your sanction successful nan NFL is simply a rite of transition – teams believed you were worthy capable for their apical slot, hoping you tin beryllium an contiguous effect subordinate for nan franchise.

But that prime besides comes pinch precocious expectations – nan subordinate is expected to execute correct distant and do truthful pinch Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods on nan way. It tin beryllium difficult for those rookies, arsenic they’re trying to get acclimated to nan velocity and physicality nan NFL has compared to assemblage football.

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Broadcaster Greg Olsen looks connected earlier nan crippled betwixt nan Seattle Seahawks and nan San Francisco 49ers astatine Lumen Field successful Seattle, Washington, connected Sept. 7, 2025. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Greg Olsen, nan three-time Pro Bowl tight extremity and FOX Sports NFL analyst, was erstwhile successful that position being nan 31st wide prime of nan 2007 NFL Draft by nan Chicago Bears. And while he knows that each business is different depending connected nan franchise nan imaginable lands with, nan expectations are nan aforesaid – fans want to spot you perform.

So, really does 1 woody pinch that?

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"Handle your business, beryllium a awesome teammate," Olsen told Fox News Digital, while besides discussing really he’s taking his expert duties to nan adjacent level pinch NFL IQ. "Earn nan spot of your teammates, gain nan spot of your coaches first and foremost. Because, astatine nan extremity of nan day, if you play good and nan guys successful that locker room judge successful you and you proceed to get opportunities, nan instrumentality support will come. As nan squad wins and you play well, each of that takes attraction of itself."

For Olsen, he recalled reasoning possibly nan New York Jets aliases Carolina Panthers would return him successful nan first information aft a successful profession astatine Miami. But, erstwhile nan Jets traded up to nab first-ballot Hall of Famer Darrelle Revis, and nan Panthers later selected his Hurricanes teammate, linebacker Jon Beason, he didn’t cognize what was happening.

That’s nan beauty of nan NFL Draft, though, arsenic nan Bears took him contempt Olsen not really interacting pinch their unit during nan pre-draft process.

Greg Olsen speaks connected power statement anterior to Super Bowl LIX astatine nan Ernest Morial Convention Center connected February 06, 2025 successful New Orleans, Louisiana. (Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)

In today’s NFL Draft world, Olsen understands nan accusation these prospects person is overmuch much vast. In turn, fans person nan aforesaid knowledge fixed nan world of societal media, and really reports, mock drafts and master study shapes their knowing of really beforehand offices deliberation during this breathtaking clip of nan shot season.

With that, comes a situation Olsen knows he didn’t person to woody pinch arsenic a rookie, but these first-round picks adjacent week will person to upwind that storm.

"In today’s time and property wherever everyone is truthful worried astir extracurricular opinion, they’re truthful worried astir articles being written and societal media and what’s being posted, you could suffer way of, ‘Well, while you’re worried astir that, you’re not taking attraction of location base.’ I deliberation it’s much challenging coming than 20 years agone erstwhile I came into nan league, but I deliberation that’s thing guys person to hunker down and understand it’s not easy, but you power you and typically things autumn into place," Olsen said.

Olsen added it will beryllium a "very complex, stressful day" for each those progressive adjacent week, but first-round prime aliases not, it’s nan fulfillment of a life-long dream. That’s each that matters.

"You perceive your sanction get called and a life-long dream, thing you’re excited to embark on, became real. I sewage drafted by 1 of nan premier franchises successful each of football, coming disconnected a Super Bowl quality a mates months earlier. It was a really awesome spot to commencement my NFL career," he said.

Greg Olsen, nan Chicago Bears' first-round draught pick, talks to reporters aft a summertime training campy believe connected July 30, 2007, astatine Olivet Nazarene University successful Bourbonnais, Ill. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

INSIDE THE FRONT OFFICE MIND

While Olsen enjoyed 14 years successful nan NFL, his adjacent section of nan crippled is providing keen study for FOX Sports broadcasts during nan year.

To thief him do that successful nan offseason while looking astatine nan NFL Draft and free agency pickups by each franchise, Olsen has been utilizing NFL IQ, nan caller interactive hub created by nan convention and AWS (Amazon Web Services), powered by Amazon Quick.

Ahead of nan draft, NFL IQ transformed earthy information from nan NFL Combine, arsenic good arsenic squad needs, free agency moves made and more, for this hub that provides fans entree to cardinal insights and puts them successful nan shoes of beforehand agency determination makers. Whether it’s nan casual instrumentality aliases a apical expert for illustration Olsen, NFL IQ is an easy-to-use measurement to deepen shot knowledge, particularly astatine a important roster-building clip for illustration nan draught is.

General changeable of NFL IQ, nan caller interactive hub from nan convention and Amazon Web Services, powered by Amazon Quick. (NFL IQ)

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"This is nan astir knowledgeable instrumentality guidelines successful NFL history, and I deliberation that’s a bully thing," Olsen said.

"Fans really person a measurement to entree nan nonstop aforesaid data, nan nonstop aforesaid accusation that nan teams and everyone are utilizing for their ain interest, whether it’s thing casual aliases for group who really want to dive into nan nitty gritty. I deliberation it’s a really nosy group of devices for nan wide array of group who touch nan NFL space. I cognize firsthand arsenic a fan, and now a master successful nan industry, it’s a immense portion of my relationship of nan game."

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