The Chicago Bears went into the 2024 NFL draft with a need to round out their wide receiver room. In the early rounds, they picked Rome Odunze, a receiver from Washington. Although he was the third receiver picked in the draft, there is a perception that he has the potential to be the best receiver in the whole draft class.
During his college years, Odunze made a significant impression on many people due to his size and remarkable ball skills. He has a unique ability to win contested catches and jump balls by utilizing his frame and strong hands. In addition, Odunze is exceptionally fast, especially for someone of his size, as shown by his 4.45 40-yard dash. His high school sprinting background is evident in his speed both on paper and on the field.
Rome Odunze gets comparisons to former 11-time Pro Bowl receiver
Odunze has been compared to some good former NFL receivers, but the one that jumps off the page the most is Larry Fitzgerald. Both Fitzgerald and Odunze are 6'3" and around 215 pounds, but that isn't the only thing leading to the comparisons. Fitzgerald was known as one of the best pass-catchers in the game for a long time, a quality that Odunze got high praise for while in college. As stated earlier one of Rome Odunze's best qualities is his ability to attack the ball in the air, which is exactly the thing that made Larry Fitzgerald so special.
Rome Odunze has done some training with former NFL wide receiver T.J. Houshmanzadeh. When asked about the comparisons between Odunze and Fitzgerald, Houshmanzadeh said "he is like Larry Fitzgerald, but he can run." This is high praise from a former NFL receiver who has experience training receivers.
Chicago Bears fans would love to have the next Larry Fitzgerald and it is possible Odunze will show flashes of Fitzgerald throughout his NFL career, however, we will have to wait and see if the production will be on the same level as Fitzgerald. For now, Chicago Bears fans will have to settle for a very promising young wideout with the potential to do great things in the NFL.