Rome Odunze's Preseason Player Analysis

Bottom Line

Odunze has the talent to deliver fantasy production right away. The biggest question will be whether he can garner enough targets. He’s going a little closer to Keenan Allen in ADP than we’d like, which keeps the rookie from being a redraft target.

What We Learned Last Year

• Odunze continued the improvement he showed throughout his college career, solidifying himself as one of the nation’s top receivers.
• He was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award (nation’s top WR) after posting 92 receptions, 1,640 yards, and 13 TDs.
• Odunze averaged a terrific 17.8 yards per catch, up 2.6 from his strong junior season (and first year with QB Michael Penix Jr.).
• His 2.93 yards per route ranked 18th among 286 WRs who drew at least 50 targets, according to Pro Football Focus. (That did trail seven other WRs drafted this year, though.)
• Odunze did all that despite suffering a broken rib and punctured lung in the season’s fifth game.
• He followed the production with strong Combine testing. That included a 94th-percentile speed score for the position, 83rd-percentile burst score, and 86th-percentile agility score, according to PlayerProfiler.

What to Expect in 2024

• Odunze landed with the Bears as the ninth overall pick. He joins a crowded offense, though, including D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen as prime competition at his position.
• The rookie has reportedly impressed with how quickly he can acclimate, though. “Rome has really impressed us in terms of his ability to grab concepts and really execute out there for sure,” HC Matt Eberflus said at the end of early June’s minicamp.
• New OC Shane Waldron didn’t run a ton of 3-WR personnel with the Seahawks last year. According to nfelo, the Seahawks ranked just 23rd in rate of “11” personnel – despite fielding WRs DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
  • We’ll have to watch for signals on his plan for Chicago’s offense.
  • Waldron went to Seattle from a Rams offense that has been a 3-WR leader under Sean McVay.
• Odunze looks like almost exclusively an outside WR. He did spend 54.7% of his pass snaps in the slot as a sophomore. But each of his other three seasons checked in at 17.4% or less.
• The Bears should pass quite a bit more than last year. The Seahawks ranked 10th in the league in neutral-situation pass rate over Waldron’s three seasons as OC. Last year’s Bears finished 27th.