The Chicago Bears were thrilled with the progress their rookies made over the course of the spring. Quarterback Caleb Williams made big strides in his understanding of how to play a more conventional style from under center, something he didn’t do much at USC. All of this came while showcasing his tremendous arm talent in every practice. However, head coach Matt Eberflus said wide receiver Rome Odunze was the one who stuck out the most with his unique blend of size, speed, and hands. Even the Bears defense admitted he’s been impressive.
However, it appears the team may have actually downplayed how good Odunze was. Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Chicago reinforced this on the Under Center podcast. Even if your expectations were already high, it’s time to raise them.
What stands out the most about Odunze isn’t his talent. It is his work ethic. A lot of young players who are that gifted aren’t ready to put in the extra time to get better. That doesn’t appear to be the case with the 9th pick. He is driven like few are in this sport.
GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus understood from the beginning that a player need both to reach a high level in this league. Having great talent is only half of the solution. It is the talented players who also work hard that become elite. Brian Urlacher was that way. So were Charles Tillman and Lance Briggs. They didn’t become cornerstones simply by being premier athletes. Few could think through the game better than them. Finding players like that has been a challenge for the organization over the past decade. It feels like they’re finally on the right path again.
Rome Odunze faces a tough situation. Chicago has a legacy of brutal luck with 1st round wide receivers. Kevin White and David Terrell were both busts. Willie Gault and Curtis Conway underachieved. The organization still has an all-time leading receiver who retired in the 1960s with less than 6,000 yards. That should tell you how bad it’s been. Odunze feels like the first prospect to come along who is the total package. He’s big, strong, athletic, fast, and plays the game the right way. Most importantly? He has a quarterback.
