The hoopla, hysteria and general hype around the NFL Draft is unrivaled. Thursday’s first round will be filled with the usual pomp and circumstance with stylish suits, neck-draped flashy bling, main-stage struts, Roger Goodell bro hugs and lifelong dreams realized. However, selfish gamers only care about one thing — Where does the rookie rank in the fantasy pecking order? Here’s instant analysis of Odunze in the Bears offense.
No. 9 overall pick — Rome Odunze, WR, Chicago Bears
When in Rome, do what the Romans do. If your destination fantasy draft was held there, surely you would shell out endless Euros for the former Washington star’s services. Honestly, it's warranted.
Odunze, like Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers, is an alpha through and through. At an ideal 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds, he sports the catch radius, soft hands, open-field speed and route versatility to skewer secondaries. Most importantly, he does so in high dosages.
Catching spirals from Michael Penix last season, Odunze hauled in 92 balls for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns. Most terrifically, no college wide receiver topped him in deep yards or contested catches. In other words, whether working across the middle or underneath on quick hitters or streaking downfield, he throttled defenses.
Some scouts have compared Odunze to Chris Olave. Appropriately, Odunze’s first-year numbers may match what the Saints WR accomplished last year (87-1123-5). But that's probably his ceiling. With Keenan Allen and D.J. Moore also desiring Caleb Williams' affections, he's most likely a mid-tiered WR3 in 12-teamers.