The Chicago Bears hoped to find another star in the first round when they took wide receiver Rome Odunze in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Unfortunately, he didn’t look sharp early.
Then again, it’s hard to blame him, as the offense struggled as a whole with fellow first-round pick Caleb Williams at quarterback.
Now, with Ben Johnson as head coach, things are likely to be very different.
“[Rome Odunze] fits that prototypical X receiver where you can line him up outside the numbers. Provided he gets a one-on-one with a corner, he’s going to win most of his matchups. Slant routes, stop routes, go routes, the whole route tree, that’s what I’ve seen from him. He’s a really detailed route-runner. When you have a long guy that can win contested catches and torque down the field, yet still can drop his weight and get into and out of routes, that’s really a unique skill set that we’re gonna look to capitalize on,” Johnson said, via Yahoo Fantasy Sports.
“He fits that prototypical X receiver.”
Ben Johnson shares his thoughts on Rome Odunze: pic.twitter.com/JcKHUiz6mH
— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) July 29, 2025
This offseason, the Bears improved their offensive line, and the wide receiver trio of Odunze, Luther Burden and D.J. Moore is quite promising.
In addition, Williams is expected to improve in his second NFL season.
Nevertheless, it’s not easy to turn around a team overnight, and the Bears’ offense lacked any sort of direction or clear concepts last season.
If Johnson can develop Williams and Odunze, the team should be an offensive force, but it might take time.
It’s never wise or accurate to count out young players after just one year, as some need time to reach their potential.
Odunze turned heads in college because of his physicality and body control, and he can be a mismatch in the middle of the field.
The Bears will be one of the teams to keep a close eye on this season, and it’ll be interesting to see how Johnson uses his weapons.
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