Week 4 of NFL action wrapped up last night, which means we’re already about a quarter of the way through the 2025 NFL season. With the first round of byes starting this week, now is the perfect time to discuss which former Washington Huskies have performed the best at the highest level.
Rome Odunze - WR, Chicago Bears
The former No. 9 overall pick has had an excellent start to his second season of professional football. Odunze has scored in each of Chicago’s four games, and his season totals currently stand at 20 receptions for 296 yards and five touchdowns. He leads the Bears in all three categories.
His five receiving touchdowns are the league’s second-most behind only Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown. Odunze only tallied three touchdowns in 17 games last year, so the improvement he’s shown in 2025 is tremendous.
Odunze was especially dominant in Week 2, when he pulled in seven of 11 targets for 128 yards and two touchdowns in a 52-21 loss to Detroit. If Odunze can keep stringing together these excellent performances following the Bears’ Week 5 bye, he’ll be a major contender for the Pro Bowl and other postseason honors.
Trent McDuffie - CB, Kansas City Chiefs
McDuffie has been sensational since being selected No. 21 overall by the Chiefs in 2022. Through four games, the fourth-year cornerback has amassed 17 tackles (including 15 solo tackles) and three passes defended.
He doesn’t yet have an interception, but he’s on track to surpass his tackles total from last year. McDuffie earned second-team All-Pro Honors in 2024 after tallying 59 total tackles (45 solo), two interceptions, 13 passes defended, one forced fumble, and one half-sack.
Former Huskies like Marcus Peters, Desmond Trufant, Budda Baker, and Byron Murphy Jr. all found success in the NFL, giving the University of Washington an excellent reputation for producing defensive backs. McDuffie, who has two All-Pro selections in his first three years, is playing as well as any Huskies defensive back in history.
Shaq Thompson - LB, Buffalo Bills
Though Thompson has appeared sparingly in three games this year, he’s made his mark on the Bills defense. Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranks Thompson 12th among NFL defenders in overall defense with an excellent grade of 90.3. His pass defense grade of 92.8 is even better, standing third-best among the nation’s 650 qualifying defenders.
Thompson has nine total tackles, one stuff and one pass defended through three games. His best of those nine tackles was the massive truck-stick hit which he laid on running back De’Von Achane in the Bills’ 31-21 Week 3 win over the Miami Dolphins.
Fortunately, Thompson’s role may be expanding in the near future, as Bills linebacker Dorian Williams struggled last week in place of the injured Matt Milano. With how well Thompson’s played, it’s possible his workload could increase. The tenth-year veteran is clearly still capable of defending at a high level.