Drafting Rome Odunze was a no-brainer for the Chicago Bears. To them, a player with his natural talent and relentless work ethic doesn’t come around too often. Getting the chance to pair him with #1 overall pick Caleb Williams was something they couldn’t pass up. Giving a young quarterback a wide receiver he can grow with is a rare opportunity. However, the move does present a conundrum. Odunze joins a suddenly crowded wide receiver room alongside D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen.
Those two are almost certain to command the football a lot this season. The same goes for tight end Cole Kmet. That leaves fewer targets for Odunze. Obviously, the team doesn’t want to leave him on the sideline twiddling his thumbs. That means they may have to get creative if they want to put the football in his hands. That might explain why the team started experimenting with him on punt return duties in OTAs and minicamps. It is something Odunze is all for, given his deep love for Devin Hester.
Rome Odunze didn’t need many chances to prove he can do it.
In his entire college career, the wide receiver returned three punts. One of them he took back 83 yards for a touchdown. He has the ability to make plays with the ball in his hands. He proved that a lot after the catch for Washington. You need a blend of vision, strength, and speed to do that job. Odunze has all three. His teams just never bothered putting him there because he was too busy making lots of catches on offense. This situation in Chicago is a unique one. Facing the reality of fewer targets than he’s used to, the Bears should do everything in their power to get him touches.
Punt return duties are a great way to do that. It’s not like the Bears have an established starter for that job. If anything, it’s been consistently in flux ever since Tarik Cohen suffered his knee injury a few years ago. Rome Odunze may only man it for this season, but he would be an excellent choice. The 9th overall pick has the perfect skill set for the job. If he’s embracing the opportunities, then by all means, let him do it. Whatever it takes to make life more difficult for the opponents.
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