The Chicago Bears drafted Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze with the No. 9 pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Odunze spent four season with the Huskies, racking up more than 3,000 receiving yards in that span. Here’s what to know about Odunze, who joins Caleb Williams, the Bears’ No. 1 pick.
No one dominates on contested catches quite like Odunze, who said at the combine he views all 50/50 balls as “100/0” in his favor. The 6-3, 212-pound wideout should become a fast favorite of his next coaching staff, as he can haul in circus catches to bail out his quarterback and brings an extremely well-rounded skill set to any passing attack. He has more than enough burst and polish as a route runner, too, to get open consistently. — Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz
Odunze, who is from Las Vegas and went to Bishop Gorman High School, is 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds.
Odunze ended his college career with his strongest season to date. In 2023, he caught 92 passes for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns. Over his four seasons with Washington, Odunze had 214 catches for 3,272 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Odunze recorded 10 100-yard games in 2023, including his season high of 180 yards against Michigan State.
Odunze ran a 4.45 40 and a 1.52 10-yard split at the NFL combine. He registered a 39-inch vertical jump, a 10-foot, 4-inch broad jump, a 6.88-second three-cone drill and a 4.03 20-yard shuffle.