NFL Executive Reveals Who Rome Odunze Reminded Bears Of
The Chicago Bears knew going into the draft that Rome Odunze was one of their preferred targets at the 9th overall pick. GM Ryan Poles admitted he had to sweat out the wait, genuinely fearing another team might take him or trade up in front of the Bears for him. Multiple times he placed calls to other teams, gauging what it might cost to move up. Assistant GM Ian Cunningham had to calm him down, insisting the best decision was to wait it out. That proved excellent advice. Odunze was on the board when the Bears went back on the clock. Poles didn’t need long to make the pick.
Caleb Williams was thrilled. Poles was thrilled. Everybody was thrilled. The abilities Odunze has are rare. He’s got size, speed, quickness, route-running skill, and strong hands. There isn’t really a weakness to his game. He has drawn comparisons to guys like Larry Fitzgerald, Davante Adams, and DeAndre Hopkins. However, it appears the Bears might see somebody a little more familiar. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune spoke to an executive from another team about Odunze.
The comparison he gave explained everything.
I like the selection of Odunze and believe he has a chance to be a terrific player for the Bears. One personnel man described him back in the fall as a bigger version of Moore. Can he be that physical and difficult to bring down after the catch? Time will tell. Moore is like a running back with the ball in his hands after making a catch downfield.
It’s a mistake to look at the roster in the vacuum of only the 2024 season and talk about filling holes and remaining needs. You have to take a long view when evaluating draft picks, especially first-round selections, and project them over the course of three or four years and the impact they can make on the roster. Allen is signed for only this season, and absent an extension for him, the Bears would have a gaping hole opposite Moore if they didn’t add a legitimate option this year.
Rome Odunze becoming another Moore? Oh my.
Some people might scoff at the comparison until you start looking at the numbers. Moore ran a 4.42 in the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, while Odunze had a 4.45. Moore had a 39.5-inch vertical jump, while Odunze went for 39 inches. Moore had a 6.95 in the three-cone drill, while Odunze had a 6.88. The athletic profiles of the two are insanely similar. It just happens that Odunze is three inches taller. Considering how lethal Moore has been against defenses throughout his career, it must be terrifying to think the Bears now may have a bigger version of him.
This makes it easier to understand why Poles wanted Rome Odunze so badly. After watching Moore torch opponents for over 1300 yards last season, it must’ve been hard not to envision what having two such receivers on the field could be like. That is before even mentioning Keenan Allen. The Bears passing attack has truly become a case of pick your poison. If Caleb Williams is anywhere closer to the type of quarterback everybody thinks he is, this offense is about to induce nightmares.