Why Bears coach Ben Johnson is high on Rome Odunze’s unique skill set

After a quiet rookie campaign, Rome Odunze is starting to establish himself as a top receiving option under new head coach Ben Johnson. 

On Tuesday morning, Johnson praised Odunze’s offseason work, highlighting the strides he’s made to elevate every part of his game. He didn’t hesitate to detail exactly what makes Odunze so valuable in the offense.

“To me, he fits the prototypical ‘X receiver,’” Johnson said. “You can line him up outside the numbers and, as long as he gets a one-on-one matchup with a corner, he’s going to win most of those battles. Whether it’s slants, stop routes, or go routes — he’s mastered the whole route tree outside the numbers. He’s a really detailed route runner.”

That rare combination of size and finesse is what makes Odunze a true weapon in the offense.

"When you have a long guy that can win contested catches and torque down the field and all that,” Johnson said. "But yet can still drop his weight and get into and out of routes like he can, that's really a unique skill set that we're gonna look to capitalize on."

After coming out of Washington as the No. 9 overall pick in last year’s NFL Draft, Odunze faced a tough transition finding his footing. A major factor was the inconsistent play of fellow rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, with 62.1% of passes thrown Odunze’s way deemed uncatchable.

For a top-10 pick, Odunze’s rookie season fell short, totaling just 54 catches for 734 yards and three touchdowns. He topped 50 yards in only four games — a far cry from the consistent production he showed at Washington.

Odunze is clearly taking a step forward in Johnson’s offense, establishing himself as the top threat on the outside. With Keenan Allen no longer in the picture and DJ Moore not fitting as well in the system, the team’s investment in Odunze is starting to show.

If he can maintain consistency, Odunze could become the reliable target the Bears have been missing on the outside.