Most draft experts in the media ranked the top wide receivers in the 2024 draft the same. Marvin Harrison Jr. of Ohio State was #1 on their boards, followed by Malik Nabers of LSU. Rome Odunze from Washington held the third spot, a significant gap from the rest of the players at the position. However, that was not the consensus inside the NFL. While it may have unfolded that way, Mike Greenberg of ESPN confirmed that several scouts around the league felt Odunze was actually the best receiver in the draft.
By landing him at #9 overall, the Chicago Bears may have gotten one of the biggest steals of the entire weekend.
This class felt like a special one at wide receiver. Three of the top four names in the draft were those three receivers on NFL.com. That should give you an idea of how good people feel it was. For the Bears to get one despite multiple teams picking ahead of them needing help at the position helps illustrate their good fortune. Los Angeles (#5), Tennessee (#7), and even Atlanta (#8) had valid excuses to take one. They went elsewhere with their picks.
Head coach Matt Eberflus stated that he stood out the most in OTAs and minicamps. His size, speed, physicality, and route-running skills had even the starting Bears defense working hard. Make no mistake. Odunze is not one of those typical rookies you must spend a year developing. He is ready to play right now. The only reason people aren’t talking about him having a strong first season is because he’ll have to share the ball with D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen. That will limit the number of targets he receives.
Don’t expect that to bother Rome Odunze, though. He’s a competitor. The guy always finds ways to make an impact. He’s already exploring the idea of returning punts, following in the footsteps of his favorite player, Devin Hester. If the Bears are smart, they will find ways to get the ball into his hands. Ultimately, his future is tied to the right arm of quarterback Caleb Williams. If the #1 overall pick becomes who the Bears think he can be, Odunze has a bright future ahead of him.
