The Chicago Bears are already stacked at wide receiver, but having three great pass-catchers is not a bad thing in today’s NFL.
Matt Bowen of ESPN stated that he sees Chicago as the best fit for Washington Huskies wide receiver Rome Odunze, who might be available for the Bears to pick at number 9 in the NFL draft.
Let’s add a boundary target for quarterback Caleb Williams (USC), who is expected to go No. 1 overall to the Bears. With blazing 4.45 40 speed and the leaping ability to play above the rim, Odunze has the physical profile to produce as the X receiver in Shane Waldron’s Chicago offense.
Odunze was credited with 24 contested catches in 2023, which tied for the most in the FBS. He could be the vertical one-on-one target for Williams to the backside of 3×1 sets (three pass-catchers on one side of the formation, one on the other), with the ability to work the intermediate voids and isolate inside the low red zone.
Adding Odunze, who led the nation with 1,640 receiving yards, would complement the skills sets of DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, giving Williams three viable targets in Year 1.
It's possible that Rome Odunze, another top wide receiver, could be chosen by the Bears with the 9th pick.
GettyThe former Washington Huskies wide receiver is Rome Odunze.
Odunze had 13 touchdowns and 92 catches, averaging 17.8 yards per catch, and helped Washington reach the National Championship Game. Getting such a talented player at the 9th pick is unusual, but the 2024 draft's emphasis on quarterbacks and receivers could make it possible for Chicago to get Odunze.
If a team like the Minnesota Vikings or the Denver Broncos moves into the top five for a quarterback, it's likely that the team they trade with will pick a receiver if the draft order stays the same. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. predicted that the first three picks will be quarterbacks, followed by the next three picks being wide receivers.
However, if a team in need of a quarterback trades with the Arizona Cardinals at No. 4 or the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 5, then the situation for wide receivers changes.
Kiper predicts that the Tennessee Titans will select left tackle Joe Alt at No. 7 and the Atlanta Falcons will choose edge rusher Dallas Turner at No. 8, leaving a receiver available for Chicago at No. 9. Odunze is seen as the most likely player to be available, despite others like Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabersbeing considered. But if either of them were to be available for the Bears with the 9th pick, that would be just as good, if not better, than Odunze falling to that spot.
Selecting Rome Odunze would give the Bears possibly the best trio of wide receivers in the NFL.
GettyA Chicago Bears wide receiver, DJ Moore, is already on the team.
Combining Odunze’s talent with the Bears’ existing receiver group could give Chicago one of the best wide receiver trios in the NFL next season.
Allen, a six-time Pro Bowler, had 108 receptions for 1,243 yards and 7 TDs in Los Angeles last season, despite missing four games due to injury.
Meanwhile, in his first season with Chicago, Moore had 96 catches for 1,364 yards and 8 TDs, which were all career-highs according to Pro Football Reference.
