Rome
Odunze

Rome is living his dream as a kid who grew up wearing Brian Urlacher's jersey and mimicking Devin Hester's jaw-dropping returns. He solidified his spot as a playmaker for the Bears by opening 2025 with touchdowns in four straight games. Odunze plans on being a top target in Chicago for years to come with his elite ball skills and route-running ability.

Rome showed how much his connection with Bears quarterback Caleb Williams had grown after their first season when the wideout shot out of the gates in his sophomore campaign. He went for 128 yards in week 2 against the Lions.

Fans can expect to see an uptick in Odunze's numbers in Year 2, thanks to an increased knowledge of all the NFL nuances. "Having a full season under my belt, I feel like I'm aware of those things," he told the Athletic. "I can now play the game freely in a way that I know where I need to be when I need to be there."

Against the Colts, Odunze flashed the game-changing talents that helped make him the No. 9 pick of the 2024 draft. The receiver logged six catches for 112 yards and a touchdown. That made him the first Chicago rookie to post triple-digit receiving yards and a score since Anthony Miller in 2018.

Drawing up a play for Odunze is no sweat for the Bears. They know where to put him and what he does best. "He fits that prototypical X receiver, where you can line him up outside the numbers," coach Ben Johnson said. "Provided he gets a one-on-one with a corner, he's going to win most of his matchups."

After a season of getting to work with Caleb Williams, Rome showed off just how in sync the two are against the Lions in Week 2 of the 2025 season. Odunze set career highs with seven catches for 128 yards and scored two touchdowns for the first time in his professional tenure, hauling in a pair of first-half passes for scores of 28 and six yards.

Odunze had a message for Bears fans as new coach Ben Johnson came on board in 2025: be patient, because good times are on the way. "I would just say hang in there with us, we have enough talent, we just have to put the pieces together, put everybody where they need to be," the talented young receiver said.

Rome showed how much the connection with Bears quarterback Williams had grown after their first season when he passed for 496 yards and five touchdowns in the first four games. After a scoring grab in every contest, he went for 128 yards in week 12 against the Lions.

The spotlight belonged to Odunze in Week 9 of the 2024 season. He led all rookies with 104 receiving yards on five catches in a matchup with fellow top-10 selection Marvin Harrison Jr. and the Cardinals. It was his second time reaching the 100-yard threshold, making him the third rookie to have more than one.

Odunze quickly formed a connection with fellow rookie Caleb Williams during camp in 2024. The duo flashed unstoppable potential in a preseason matchup against the Bengals. Odunze streaked down the sideline while Williams rolled out and lofted one in front of the savvy wideout, who reeled it in for a 45-yard reception.

Odunze worked his way up draft boards in 2024 on the strength of his excellent hands. The rookie routinely impressed with highlight-reel grabs during his time at the University of Washington, using his length and body control to box out college football's best defenders for tough snags in traffic.

It's hard to miss Odunze as a football fan. The wideout snatches attention with his defender-dropping routes and circus catches. It's also hard to miss him as his passer. The rookie features a supersized catch radius that gives quarterbacks a wide-open area for dropping dimes.

After watching Odunze improve his game during his final two years in college ball and then come to camp and ball out, Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus was a believer. He is talented enough to where you could lean on him as a receiver No. 1 this year.