Caleb Williams may get most of the attention for obvious reasons, but there is plenty of excitement around the other Chicago Bears 1st round pick too. Rome Odunze is widely considered the cleanest prospect in the entire draft. He doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses to nitpick. He has size, speed, and hands, runs good routes, and, by all accounts, is a young man of impeccable character. The only thing holding him back from being an immediate playmaker for this team is the fact he must share the ball with two other outstanding receivers.
Comparisons for Odunze have been lofty. The most common is Arizona Cardinals icon Larry Fitzgerald, with sprinkles of former Packers superstar Davante Adams mixed in. Hard not to be excited about that. Well, former Jets and Dolphins general manager Mike Tannenbaum took it a step further. He called Odunze his favorite pick by any team in the entire draft. Why? He believes the Washington standout may end up emerging as the best receiver in this class, and it’s because his skill set resembles one of the best to ever play.
Tannenbaum: Odunze. He has a legitimate chance to be the best receiver from this draft. Under the motto of “win for today and develop for tomorrow,” the Bears have Allen on a one-year deal, and Odunze has Terrell Owens’ type of ability. Odunze had 1,640 receiving yards and 13 scores in 2023. This is ideal for Chicago.
Rome Odunze is more like Owens than people realize.
People will immediately jump to the personality, but that isn’t the point. Tannenbaum says Odunze’s ability and style of play reflect what Owens did best during his Hall of Fame career. If you want some evidence to support this, look at the measurements between the two.
Owens:
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- 6’3
- 213 lbs
- 4.45 in the 40-yard dash
- 33-inch vertical jump
- 10’0 broad jump
Odunze:
- 6’3
- 212 lbs
- 4.45 in the 40-yard dash
- 39-inch vertical jump
- 10’4 broad jump
The two are almost identical. They’re the same size with the same speed. Also like Owens, Rome Odunze will have a chance to learn from a future Hall of Famer. T.O. spent five seasons playing alongside the immortal Jerry Rice. Odunze will get a chance to learn from six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen in Chicago. Owens went on to finish with the third-most receiving yards in NFL history. The Bears would love nothing better if Odunze somehow approaches even half of that production.
All I have to see is Tannenbaum and I shut down. His mock draft had Rome as the 3rd WR going at # 14.
Marvin Harrison Sr as a comparison?
TO was a D-Nozzle, but he’s a top 3-5 WR of all time. He was also a physical beast. I like Odunze, but he and MHJ are an easy arm tackle compared to Nabers. TO would drag you around.
What stands out about Odunze is he’s already learned how to avoid getting jammed by DBs by using his feet, body and hands to get off the line and run his route. Jerry Rice credited that ability as critical to his success. Rome also recognizes what the defense is doing and adjusts his route or finds space to get open. He’s years ahead of most receivers who rely on speed for separation.
And, he has terrific body control to make catches even when the throw is off target. Forget TO! To me, Larry Fitzgerald or Devonte Adams are apt comparisons.
Please don’t insult this young man with a comparison to Terrell Owens. Owens was and is a self centered clown who constantly emitted negativity. Why couldn’t you have quit at the Larry Fitzgerald comparison, Erik?