The Chicago Bears will consider choosing one of the best wide receivers in the 2024 NFL draft at pick No. 9 and will have a meeting with that player next week.
Brady Henderson of ESPN’s NFL Nation reported on Thursday, March 28 that the Bears will meet with wide receiver Rome Odunze from the Washington Huskies before the draft, along with several other teams.
“Washington WR Rome Odunze, expected to be drafted early in the first round, tells me he has upcoming meetings with the Cardinals, Jets and Bears at those teams’ facilities,” Henderson wrote. “The Giants also flew him out for a meeting after the combine.”
Bears Could Possibly Pick Rome Odunze if the Draft Goes Well for Them
GettyWide receiver Rome Odunze of the Washington Huskies.
The Cardinals will pick at No. 4 and the Giants at No. 6, which means Odunze might be chosen before Chicago's turn. However, the fact that the Bears are meeting with him shows that they think there's a chance Odunze might still be available at No. 9 and that they're interested in selecting him.
There are trade scenarios that could affect the top four or five picks, with teams like the Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos potentially considering moving up for a quarterback. There are also wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. of Ohio State and Malik Nabers of LSU to consider.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. currently predicts that Harrison will be chosen at No. 4 by Arizona, Nabers at No. 5 by the Los Angeles Chargers and Odunze at No. 6 by New York.
“The Giants have improved their receiving group over the past two years — Darius Slayton, Jalin Hyatt and Wan’Dale Robinson are their top three guys right now — but they don’t have a true No. 1 guy who can dominate on the outside,” Kiper wrote. “They could add that in Odunze, a touchdown machine in a 6-foot-3 frame.”
However, Kiper’s predictions don’t consider potential trades, even though they're likely to happen. There's a decent chance that one of the three teams picking between 4-6 will trade their pick for a big reward, which might result in Odunze being available for Chicago at No. 9.
Rome Odunze’s Ranking as the 3rd-Best Wide Receiver in the Draft Class Might Help the Bears
GettyWide receiver Rome Odunze of the Washington Huskies.
Meanwhile, Kiper and other well-known NFL analysts believe that Harrison and Nabers are the top two receiver prospects in this year’s class.
“There are some NFL personnel men who believe Malik Nabers is this draft class’ top wideout,” Adam Schefter of ESPN shared on Wednesday.
Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that the Chargers trade their No. 5 spot with the Vikings and the draft goes as Kiper expects. In that case, the top six picks will see teams pick four quarterbacks and two wide receivers, and those two receivers will be Harrison and Nabers — in some order — at pick Nos. 4 and 6.
Kiper predicts the Tennessee Titans will choose a left tackle at No. 7 and the Atlanta Falcons plan to select the top edge rusher available at No. 8. This could lead to Odunze being picked by Chicago at No. 9, as he is considered to be an extremely talented player for that point in the draft.
The Bears might use Odunze’s value to trade out of the 9th position, especially if they plan to extend Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allenwhom they acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers for a fourth-round pick in March. However, the opportunity to pair Odunze with DJ Moore and quarterback Caleb Williams of USC, Chicago’s potential top overall pick, may be too enticing to overlook.
