Former Washington Huskies star wide receiver Rome Odunze had a solid rookie season with the Chicago Bears after he was selected with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
The 2023 Consensus All-American racked up 54 catches for 734 yards and 3 touchdowns while working with his fellow rookie and the draft’s No. 1 overall selection, quarterback Caleb Williams. Now, ahead of his second season, the always humble Odunze discussed what he wants to work on ahead of his second season.
“There’s a lot of nitpicking and grabbing in this league that isn’t always shown,” he told members of the media at a press conference. “I feel like I needed to build upper-body mass to be able to combat some of those things.”
During his time at Washington, Odunze proved that he is a stickler for details and should be able to make the adjustment quickly. After he announced his return for the 2023 season, one of the biggest knocks on his game was that he couldn’t consistently outmuscle defenders at the catch point, so naturally, he got stronger and became one of the best in the nation in contested catch scenarios during his final year.
“It’s a different game than college football. There are different windows, different ways to get open, and there’s a different pace that you have to get adapted to,” he added. “Having a full season under my belt, I feel like I’m aware of those things.”
Now with veteran Keenan Allen out of the picture, Odunze is primed to take a big step forward in his second year with head coach Ben Johnson at the helm. With 121 targets to go around, the former Husky star is expected to see a larger portion and act as at least Chicago’s No. 2 receiver behind Pro Bowler DJ Moore.