Since Roger Goodell stepped to the podium and announced that the Chicago Bears were selecting Caleb Williams with the 1st overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the lion's share of the attention has rightfully been on the first quarterback with true star potential that will wear a Bears uniform since Sid Luckman — and that was, no joke, close to 100 years ago. However, people seem to be forgetting that the Bears had a second top ten pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and with that selection, they nabbed Washington Huskies wide receiver Rome Odunze… an NFL-ready weapon that joins a suddenly loaded arsenal of weapons that Williams will have at his disposal the second he steps foot on an NFL field.
The Bears won't be practicing in full pads until July 27th, but in a short period of time and limited reps, Rome Odunze has already found a way to impress another new addition to the Chicago Bears offense: Keenan Allen, an eleven-year NFL veteran who knows a thing or two about solid receiver play. Compare Allen to his 2013 Draft classmates, and only DeAndre Hopkins and Travis Kelce have hauled in more receptions, more touchdowns or more yards. But compare Allen to Odunze, and the vet himself will tell you the rookie is ahead of the curve.
“He looks better than me at that age,” Allen told reporters after practice on Sunday (h/t Lucas Hunt of Bears Wire). “He’s faster, he comes out his breaks better when i was that young. He looks more polished than I was (at that age).”
This is a tremendous compliment coming from any veteran receiver, but an endorsement like this from a player of Keenan Allen's stature carries even more weight. Once thought to be a 1st round prospect, Allen slipped to the 3rd round in the 2013 NFL Draft in large part because he was dealing with a sprained PCL during much of his pre-draft prep. He entered camp as the 5th wide receiver on the then San Diego Chargers depth chart, and struggled out of the gate. But because of injuries and solid play, Allen was the number one weapon for Phillip Rivers by the end of his rookie year.
Rome Odunze will be slotted into the #3 receiver spot when the season begins, behind DJ Moore and Keenan Allen. But every step of the way, Odunze has made it clear he's in Chicago to compete and establish himself as the top option for Caleb Williams. Consider that confidence another bright spot in the mind of Keenan Allen.
“Confidence is key, I was the same way,” Allen said. “I was here to take spots and be the No. 1 receiver. But sometimes, realistically, it’s not the way it goes. I’ve been a No. 3 and 4 receiver…cards may or may not play out this way but we’re going to need him.”
Rome Odunze is turning heads in Chicago
Keenan Allen isn't the only one in the Bears locker room who has been impressed by the 9th overall pick. Rome Odunze has already found big fans in both head coach Matt Eberflus, and new Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, who offered this glowing assessment of Odunze back in May:
“We knew that he's big and fast and a smooth receiver with the ability to make tough catches,” Waldron said, according to Larry Mayer of ChicagoBears.com. “But the cool thing I thought was when you start learning about the person and how dependable and reliable he was, that really sealed the deal as far as the evaluation process. And then I thought it was pretty cool post-draft just the amount of texts I received just about the person more than anything else. So when you're building a culture and building it the right way, it was an A-plus fit for us.”
More recently, Coach Flus noted that it was Rome Odunze who impressed the coaching staff more than anyone else during OTAs, saying, “I would say Rome. Rome really impressed us in terms of his ability to grab concepts and really execute out there.”
The quicker that Rome Odunze can establish himself as the star that Ryan Poles, Matt Eberflus, and the Chicago Bears envisioned he could be, the quicker Caleb Williams will be able to fully command Chicago's new look offense. And whenever that happens, whether it be this year or next year, look out.
