June 5, 2025

After being drafted ninth overall by the Chicago Bears in 2024, expectations were quite high for wide receiver Rome Odunze. With fellow rookie Caleb Williams throwing him the ball, Odunze was able to post decent numbers in his first season. He hauled in 54 catches for 734 yards and three scores over 17 games. Inconsistent play by Williams, exacerbated by a horrendous offensive line, was not the ideal position for a rookie receiver, as Odunze ranked 2nd in unrealized air yards (917) with an atrocious catchable target rate of 64%. Consistent volume was also hard to come by, with DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, and sometimes even Cole Kmet above Odunze in the pecking order. Things are looking up for the second-year wideout with the Bears' moves this offseason. Allen became a free agent, and Chicago brought in offensive-minded Ben Johnson as the Bears' head coach. Johnson has already been very vocal about how impressed he is with the sophomore wideout. It's worth noting that the Bears just used their first two picks in the 2025 NFL draft to grab pass catchers. The Bears selected tight end Colston Loveland 10th overall and wide receiver Luther Burden III in the second round. However, that shouldn't detract too much from Odunze's opportunities this coming season. Burden III is primarily a slot receiver while Odunze aligns outside, and Loveland will share reps with Cole Kmet. There are a lot of mouths to feed in this Chicago offense, but with what should be a drastically improved offensive line and another year to grow with Williams, Odunze is expected to take a big leap in his second season into the WR2 range as the clear No. 2 target in this offense. RotoBaller is on board with Odunze making the second-year leap and has the 23-year-old ranked as WR33 heading into upcoming fantasy drafts.--Ryan J. Goodman