5 best team fits for Rome Odunze in the 2024 NFL Draft

Washington Huskies football star Rome Odunze showed out at the 2024 NFL Draft Combine and proved once again why he will be a sure-fire top-10 pick on April 25 in Detroit. According to Mock Draft Database, the 21-year-old receiver is currently projected to be selected with the 9th overall pick by the Chicago Bears in most published mock drafts and is most likely to be the first Husky taken off the board.

This class is littered with talented receivers and as many as 7 are currently projected to be selected in the first round. However, Odunze stood out at the Combine as NFL.com's Chad Reuter pointed to him as "the smoothest, most consistent pass catcher in the second receiver group on Saturday", as he proved to be one of the biggest winners of the weekend in Indianapolis.

5 ideal landing spots for Rome Odunze in the 2024 NFL Draft

Chicago Bears

Wether it may be Justin Fields or Caleb Williams at quarterback, the Bears desperately need a wide receiver as they have no reliable option at the position outside of D.J. Moore, who accounted for 65% of the receiving yards produced by Bears' WRs in 2023.

According to Pro Football Focus, Odunze's contested catch rate of 75% was the best in college football among receivers with at least 100 targets. By pairing the two together, the Bears would immediately have one of the better duos in the NFL, as Moore has already established himself as one of the best contested pass catchers in the league since the beginning of his career. Odunze has also spoken glowingly of both Fields and Williams and told Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Chicago that Devin Hester was his favorite player growing up.

New York Jets

This would certainly be an extremely exciting opportunity for Odunze as he would be catching passes from one of the best throwers of the football ever in Aaron Rodgers and he would create a formidable duo alongside Garrett Wilson. The big-bodied star prospect is drawing a lot of comparisons to Broncos' Courtland Sutton, who was coached by the Jets' current offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett in 2022, when he had one of the best seasons of his career. The Jets need urgent help out wide as only two WRs not named Garrett Wilson surpassed 200 receiving yards for them in 2023, and none of them reached 400.

New York Giants

Odunze would not only instantly provide a massive upgrade for the Giants at the position as he had more contested catches by himself (20 on 27 contested targets) than their entire receiving corps (16/45) in 2023 but they also have not had a true number one receiver since the departure of Odell Beckham Jr. Only the Panthers had a less productive passing offense than the Giants in 2023 and, with Daniel Jones' contract making him impossible to move away from, they need to surround him with elite weapons, as all of their latest free agency projects at the position have proven to be massive failures.

Buffalo Bills

Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs and Rome Odunze would probably give the rest of the NFL nightmares. The Bills would obviously have to move up in the draft to get him as they currently hold the 28th overall pick, but with Gabriel Davis most likely gone they could certainly use Odunze's big playmaking ability, as Davis has led the team in yards per reception each of the last three seasons.

Los Angeles Chargers

Keenan Allen will be turning 32 during the weekend of the Draft and is entering the last year of his current contract, Mike Williams is recovering from a season-ending knee injury and Quentin Johnston, who was the Chargers' first round pick in last year's draft, has greatly disappointed. Jim Harbaugh was able to see at first hand what Odunze is capable of doing as he caught five passes for 87 yards in the national championship game and he would be a great weapon for Justin Herbert, who has one of the best arms in the NFL and likes to be aggressive down the field.