The Chicago Bears find themselves in an envious position with three weeks to go before the 2024 NFL Draft. They boast the first and ninth overall selections.
General manager Ryan Poles has also added two Pro Bowl skill-position players in that of running back D’Andre Swift and wide receiver Keenan Allen.
It’s pretty much a guarantee that Chicago will take USC quarterback Caleb Williams at No. 1 after trading away Justin Fields. The team met with him earlier in the week. Things seemed to go swimmingly.
The biggest question here is what Chicago plans to do with the ninth pick. Will the team look for more skill-position help on offense or add to what is already a good defense? If their latest pre-draft visit is any indication, it could be the former.
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Chicago Bears meeting with Rome Odunze ahead of NFL Draft
Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report was the first to report the news. It’s interesting in that the Bears already have two Pro Bowl receivers in that of the aforementioned Allen as well as D.J. Moore. Perhaps, Poles is just trying to stack the hand in Williams’ favor assuming he’s the pick at one.
Sportsnaut’s latest NFL mock draft has Odunze as the third receiver off the board to the Tennessee Titans with the seventh selection. So, Chicago seems to be in the ballpark with the second of its first-round picks.
A star for the Washington Huskies over the past two seasons, the 6-foot-3 Odunze is seen as a bigger target with an ability to take the top off the defense.
He recorded 92 receptions for 1,640 yards an 13 touchdowns in catching passes from Michael Penix Jr. as a senior last season. Odunze is considered the third-best receiver in the NFL Draft behind Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers of LSU.