With two first-round picks at their disposal, the Chicago Bears were a big-time beneficiary of the 2024 NFL Draft. Having drafted their franchise quarterback in Caleb Williams, they decided to add another piece to their offense in Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze.
Pairing Odunze with Keenan Allen and DJ Moore gives Williams one of the best supporting casts in the entire NFC, if not the whole league. Fighting an uphill battle in the uber-competitive NFC North division, the Bears will be counting on a strong rookie season from Odunze.
Overall situation & supporting cast
The depth chart doesn’t seem favorable for a breakout season from Odunze in year one, but there is a likely path to receiving a consistent target share. This scenario isn’t something new for offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, who had the pleasure of working Jaxon Smith-Njigba into the DK Metcalf-Tyler Lockett pairing last season, and that worked out fairly well for all three.
Having both Allen and Moore ahead of Odunze in the pecking order probably will make for a slow start to the season for Odunze, but that shouldn’t worry fans and teams that roster Odunze for fantasy football.
Odunze is a crafty wideout with the ability to slide into whatever role the offense needs him to fill. Having produced a banner season at Washington (92/1,640/13) last year, Odunze thrived catching passes from Michael Penix.
Catching passes from Williams now will be different for Odunze, but he is making a pretty sizable jump up the ladder in terms of QB. Having the likes of Allen and Moore around him will help him hone in his skills at the next level, even if they are all competing for the same targets.
Expect Odunze to fit in as the 3A/3B target in the Chicago offense, falling behind both Allen and Moore in the pecking order, around the same as Cole Kmet, but ahead of D’Andre Swift and others.
Year 1 expectations
If you want to take the 2023 Seattle situation and apply it to Chicago’s situation, the stats back up being able to support three weapons and still maintain a healthy target share for all three.
Metcalf once again led the Seahawks in the receiving game, hauling in 66 passes for 1,114 yards and eight touchdowns. Second was Lockett, who corralled 79 passes for 894 yards and five touchdowns, leading the team in both receptions and targets (122).
Smith-Njigba came in third, as the former Ohio State receiver caught 63 passes for 628 yards and four scores, on 93 targets. Having three receivers earn 93+ targets in a season shows how reliant the Seahawks were on their receiver unit, and more of the same should be expected with the Bears.
The reason why Odunze’s forecast is healthier than JSN’s ‘23 output is due to the fact that Chicago figures to be throwing the ball a ton. Combining an average roster with above-average opponents, as well as a pass-happy coordinator that prefers to air it out on most downs, and you have a recipe for a busy rookie wideout.
2024 Stat Projections – 72 receptions, 804 receiving yards, 5 TDs
Fantasy Football impact
Odunze should be an absolute steal this year in your fantasy football drafts, because of where he falls on the depth chart. People made the same mistake last season when it came to drafting the Seattle wideouts, and JSN likely made a lot of teams very happy with where he was drafted.
An aspect that hasn’t been talked about yet is the future of the Chicago wideouts, namely Allen. With only one more season left on his current deal, could this be a playoffs-or-bust season for Chicago, which would dictate Allen’s chances of returning?
With Allen also not having the cleanest bill of health, Odunze could very easily step into a spot in the top-two WR formations if Allen’s health acts up. Regardless, Odunze’s fantasy football value looks to be a steal at this point in time.
For you dynasty fanatics, Odunze is likely WR3 in your rookie draft’s this offseason. With a direct line to the two-man sets coming likely in 2025, Odunze is the perfect option to let sit and wait until he explodes onto the scene during his second NFL season (even though his rookie season should be promising too).
Landing spot grade
Grade: A-
This was not as pressing of a need as it may have seemed, as other areas should have been more pressing targets for general manager Ryan Poles. But addressing a future need at a skill position with this type of talent is tough to pass up.
Odunze should fit into this offense nicely, and expect Waldron and the rest of the offensive staff to make sure he gets incorporated early and often. The time for sitting back and having prospects develop is over in Chicago, especially with their franchise cornerstone at QB finally in place (we think).
There is no shortage of talent at the skill positions on offense, so this offense will have few excuses to rely on if they don’t perform this season. While Odunze will face a rookie learning curve right out of the gate, expect him to turn some heads early as he looks to make an impression in the Bears offense in ‘24 and beyond.
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