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Pre-draft Grade: 8.9
Overall Ranking: 6th
On paper, the Chicago Bears looked like they had the league’s best wide receiver corps after adding the reliable Keenan Allen and this year’s ninth overall pick, Rome Odunze, to a room that already featured D.J. Moore.
Currently, the Bears field the league’s 30th-ranked pass offense.
Some of the issues stem from a rookie quarterback who’s feeling his way through his first NFL season. The system definitely didn’t help matters, hence Shane Waldron’s midseason dismissal as offensive coordinator. The offensive line had its share of struggles as well.
But Odunze hasn’t been the physical presence many expected, either. At least, not completely.
The rookie leads his team with 479 receiving yards. He does average 14.1 yards per catch, which ranks fifth among first-year players with 20 or more receptions. Basically, he is what he is: A physical, downfield target who’s a ball-winner:
“Where Odunze falls short is explosive ability Though he’s a strong contested-catch weapon down the field, Odunze isn’t really a burner. His speed on film is average. He has enough to get it done; no more and no less.
“Odunze also doesn’t have much pop when changing directions. His flexibility allows him to smoothly turn and not lose speed, but he doesn’t really explode out of breaks. That could be an issue versus smarter, quicker DBs.
“Odunze is a quarterback’s best friend. He’s a reliable route-runner with good size and an accuracy-erasing catch radius.”
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