The Chicago Bears hoped to turn their offense around in the 2024 NFL draft. They had two top-ten picks, a generational prospect to take at No. 1, and the perfect pass-catching complement was available eight slots later.
Unfortunately, Rome Odunze's rookie season wasn't anything special. The University of Washington product failed to live up to the hype, finishing the year with just 54 receptions on 101 targets for 743 yards and three touchdowns. Good, of course, but not as great as expected for the ninth overall pick.
Fast forward to now, and it's been so refreshing to watch him take his game to a whole new level in the first two games of the 2025 season. The Bears' offense has struggled, but Odunze is proving that he can handle a WR1-type role moving forward.
Bears WR Rome Odunze is Exceeding Expectations
Once again, quarterback Caleb Williams' play has been a subject of debate. The flashes are there, but the decision-making, overthrows, and overall inconsistency have been frustrating. That's not the case when he looks for his second-year wide receiver.
Through two games, Odunze already has as many touchdowns as he had in his entire rookie season. He has come down with 13 catches on 20 targets for 176 receiving yards and three touchdowns (all team highs). He also had a 137.5 passer rating when targeting him, and he averages a whopping 8.6 yards per attempt.
Of course, this shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Odunze's combination of size, athleticism, and elite route-running made him the type of prospect all teams would love to get their hands on. It took him a while, but the game is finally slowing down for him.
He averaged 17.9 yards per catch in his final year in college, and he's flashed that big-play potential in the pros as well, boasting a career average of 13.4 yards per reception. If Williams tweaks things up and stops trying to go for the home run on every throw, Odunze can be the deep-ball specialist this team has lacked this season.
Odunze Could Make D.J. Moore Expendable
Odunze's surge also raises the question of whether the Bears should move on from D.J. Moore. In an ideal world, they could be an elite one-two punch and carry the team to the playoffs.
But with the Bears struggling to get it together and the trade deadline approaching in November, they might choose to move some of their veterans sooner rather than later, and Moore's contract might be one of their most valuable assets if they want to recoup draft capital.
Rookie WR Luther Burden III should be getting ready to take on a bigger role after not being a factor through two weeks, making Moore more expendable. Needless to say, the future of Chicago's WR room is bright.