The Chicago Bears have used this offseason to fine-tune the roster with Ben Johnson at the helm. They have built a good roster over the years, in large part to the NFL draft.
The roster played a factor in why Johnson wanted to come over here in the first place. In the 2024 NFL draft, the Bears took Caleb Williams with the first overall pick, but they also selected WR Rome Odunze with the ninth overall pick.
Over the past couple of months, Odunze has caught the attention of his new head coach, who said he's been "extremely impressed" with the young playmaker.
Ben Johnson is Already Impressed With Rome Odunze
Johnson was speaking to the media on Wednesday and spoke highly about Odunze. He said, "To be a second-year guy, you would expect a little bit more inconsistency. And yet, the way he approaches the meeting room, the walk-throughs, the on-field, the drill work, it’s very much like a seasoned pro, some of the best that I’ve been around."
That's some high praise for a 22-year-old who has been around Johnson for only around four months. There's a reason Chicago made Odunze a top 10 pick, and it's cause he has the skillset to be a top-notch pass catcher.
As a rookie, Odunze failed to consistently pop off the screen. Over 17 games, he had 54 catches for 734 yards and three touchdowns. While those are solid stats, he only went over 100 receiving yards just twice, both happening between Week 1 to Week 9.
Looking to become more of a focal point in the passing attack, Odunze has attacked the offseason hard. His effort is certainly being noticed, and Johnson made it a point to call it out.
There's a reason for that, and Odunze needs to keep up what he's doing. That kind of approach is the right call and will lead to bigger things for him on the field in 2025.