Older Chicago Bears fans understand the organization has a rough history with picking wide receivers in the 1st round. They did okay with Willie Gault in 1983. However, since then it’s been mostly misfires for the past 30 years. Wendell Davis in 1988. David Terrell in 2001. Kevin White in 2015. So, one could understand why some were skeptical of the Bears targeting Rome Odunze with the 9th overall pick last April. While no one could deny his college success in Washington, he was the third wide receiver off the board and the Bears have a bad history of reaching at positions already plucked clean in years past.
GM Ryan Poles didn’t care. He felt in his heart that Odunze was a special talent and a special person. When the receiver fell past Tennessee and Atlanta to reach #9, he breathed a sigh of relief. Since then, the rookie has made a positive impression on every single person in the locker room, on and off the field. Head coach Matt Eberflus said he had one of the best summers of any player on the team.
However, perhaps the greatest nod of approval came during the final episode of Hard Knocks when All-Pro cornerback Jaylon Johnson asked the rookie personally to run option routes against him after practice.
For somebody like Johnson to single him out as the ideal choice to learn how to better defend option routes tells you a lot. Remember, he had D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen as other choices. Instead, he chose Odunze. Now he may have done this as a way to also help the rookie learn what he can expect to see from top corners in the NFL. Still, it also spoke to how much respect Johnson already has for Odunze’s ability. Players his age aren’t usually capable route runners yet.
That should tell you how different Rome Odunze is. This guy is 6’3, runs a sub-4.5 in the 40, and is so dedicated to his craft that he already runs sharp enough routes to give top cornerbacks pause. He may not be the primary receiver right now. Moore and Allen are too established for that. Even so, it feels like only a matter of time before Odunze becomes a target Caleb Williams can’t possibly ignore. For once, it appears the Bears finally got it right.
