As the 2021 season comes to a close I want to send this series off with a player who remains close to my heart. 

This week’s edition of Dynasty Sleeper of The Week features a former cornerback turned wide receiver. 

Let’s dive in and see what “Gunna” is all about!

Gunner Olszewski (WR – NE)

SLEEPER HISTORY

Gunner Olszewski began his career on the defensive side of the ball, setting records for tackles and interceptions in high school and later winning defensive player of the year at Bemidji State University, a Division II football school. He was a standout athlete at a small school contributing in all phases of the game, even special teams as a punt returner. At 5’10” 178 pounds, Olszewski couldn’t rely on his size as a defender at the college level so instead, he mainly depended on his effort and drive. Bemidji State head coach, Brent Bolte said as much in a film breakdown during an interview with Andrew Callahan in 2019: “This is what it takes to get noticed. It doesn’t matter if you’re 5’10” and play at Bemidji State,” Bolte says. “This is what you’ve got the be able to do to move on and hone your skills.”

Although Olszewski exhibited a promising skill set and undeniable intangibles with the potential to translate to the next level, he went undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft. He was later invited to try out as a wide receiver at a mini-camp hosted by the New England Patriots, whose scouts inspired his change of position to wide receiver. Olszewski was signed to a three-year deal once a roster spot became available. It’s worth noting he was set to be waived soon after arriving in New England but Bill Belichick decided to trade another player at the last minute and keep Olszewski on the roster. That’s an unusual move, to say the least. Unfortunately, his development was stunted by a foot injury that landed him on IR the following year in 2020 but he was able to return during the second half of the season. His performance over the final 5 games was enough for him to be named to the AP All-Pro list as a punt returner. A serious accolade for a former undrafted free agent.

SLEEPER HERE AND NOW

Through 11 games this season, Olszewski ranks second in punt return yards (288) and yards per punt return (12.5), just behind Devin Duvernay. Anyone paying close attention (likely not many) has noticed his improvement year to year and especially in 2021. He’s become an exceptional punt returner who leans on his lateral quickness, vision, and football IQ to regularly evade defenders for long gains. The former cornerback has also refined his route running in his three years in the NFL in an attempt to make an impact as a true wide receiver. While he’s shown some development, there are still areas of his game that require fine-tuning. One of his greatest weaknesses is his hands. Like many former defensive backs, Olszewski struggles to secure the ball coming out of his routes, but this is certainly something that can be coached up and corrected. 

Today, Olszewski has caught eight of 10 total career targets for 118 yards and one touchdown. He caught his lone target of the 2021 season for 22 yards but still struggles to get on the field as a wide receiver despite his considerable success as a punt returner. Fortunately, playing an important role on special teams will keep you on an NFL roster for years, especially for the Patriots. Clearly, he has a ways to go and will need to show significant improvement in order to carve out a role in the passing game but he surely wouldn’t be the first to do so in New England.

DYNASTY ANALYSIS

Currently, Olszewski is nothing more than a punt returner and holds little to no value in your dynasty leagues, but that doesn’t mean he won’t at some point. He’s just 25 years old and transitioned to the wide receiver position when he entered the league in 2019. Former Patriots standout wide receiver Julian Edelman caught just 69 passes in his first four seasons. He also transitioned to a wide receiver, although from quarterback, not cornerback. The point remains, there is plenty of time for Olszewski to polish his skills and prove he can play wide receiver in the NFL. Given his history of succeeding in the face of improbability, it’s only a matter of time. 

Accounting for his lack of current fantasy production, I’d imagine he holds next to zero value to your leaguemates so he’s almost guaranteed to be on waivers unless you have a die-hard Patriots fan in your league. This isn’t a call to go spend any sort of capital or drop another potential prospect. However, if you’re in deep roster dynasty leagues (35+), I would be acquiring him to stash just in case Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels find a way to use him on offense in the years to come. 

Thank you for reading. If you have any thoughts or questions and would like to discuss them, you can reach out to me on Twitter @WillieBeamanDFF. 

You can read previous articles in this series here:  Pharaoh Brown, Demetric Felton, Mekhi Sargent, Jaelon Darden, Derrick Gore, Tyree Jackson, Kylen Granson, Sammis Reyes, Eno Benjamin, Kene Nwangwu, John Bates