Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze was considered by most NFL draft analysts to be one of the top five or six overall players in the 2024 NFL Draft. He was often compared to Larry Fitzgerald in the run-up to draft weekend, and there were more than just a few media members who had Odunze as their top receiver in this year's class.
His film is undeniably impressive. He's a big-bodied athlete who can make catches in traffic and away from his frame while also possessing the necessary gear to run away from defenders in the open field. There isn't much he can't do at the position, which is why he profiled as an immediate WR1 in the NFL.
On Friday, Odunze met with the media and said that's the kind of mindset he's bringing to Chicago in 2024.
Check it out:
Rome Odunze speaks on his mentality heading into a competitive WR room. pic.twitter.com/cBHdPKZRcU
— ImBearingDown (@ImBearingDown) May 10, 2024
It's impossible not to be impressed by Odunze. He's a calculated dude; he knows what he wants to accomplish in the NFL, and there's no doubt he'll be an asset in a wide receiver room that already includes DJ Moore and Keenan Allen.
Odunze's most likely outcome this season is a WR3 role, similar to what Jaxon Smith-Njigba played for the Seattle Seahawks in 2023. JSN finished his rookie season with 63 catches for 628 yards and four touchdowns. But if either Allen or Moore gets injured at any point this season, Odunze is as good a bet as any to have an incredibly productive first year as a pro.