Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson knew he had a special player early on in wide receiver Rome Ounze.
At 6-foot-3, 214 pounds, the former top-10 pick has size, but he also ran a 4.45 40-yard dash at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. Odunze presents numerous possibilities for a coach as creative as Johnson.
Back in late July, Johnson was asked about his assessment of the second-year wide receiver through the first training camp practices.
“To me, he fits that prototypical X receiver where you can line him up outside the numbers, and provided he gets a one-on-one with a corner, he's going to win most of his matchups, slant routes, stop routes, go routes, the whole route tree outside the numbers,” Johnson said. “That's what I've seen from him so far. He's a really detailed route runner. He had a route yesterday in one-on-ones that was really impressive. He's looking one way, breaks the other way, and really snaps it off for a sharp cut. When you have a long guy that can win contested catches and torque down the field and all that, but yet can still drop his weight and get into and out of routes, that's really a unique skill set that we're going to look to capitalize on.”
How Odunze has grown from training camp to bye week into an elite NFL receiver
What Odunze showed in training camp has translated through the first four weeks of the 2025 NFL season. Odunze leads the Bears with 20 receptions for 227 yards and five touchdowns.
His five receiving touchdowns are the second-most in the NFL, only behind Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown’s six touchdowns. Odunze has the 11th most receiving yards in the NFL. He is also tied for sixth in the league with 16 first-down receptions.
Odunze has scored a receiving touchdown in every game so far and has been a consistent big-play creator for quarterback Caleb Williams.
It’s clear that Odunze has become the Bears’ No. 1 target, and there’s no reason to believe that will change after Chicago comes off the bye week. According to Fantasy Points Data, Odunze is No. 1 in the NFL among wide receivers in separation win-rate vs. man coverage at 52.6%.
Odunze has elevated his level of play in Year 2 despite the offense’s miscues through the first four games. There have been instances of pre- and post-snap penalties, as well as miscommunication.
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Once Johnson and his offense truly begin to mesh and become more synchronized, Williams and Odunze can build on this hot start and potentially become one of the best quarterback-wide receiver duos in the NFL.