The Bears have not traded out of the No. 9 slot, after all. Chicago has used its other top-10 selection by drafting Washington receiver Rome Odunze.
There was speculation that the Bears could look to collect even more assets and deal the No. 9 pick. Instead, they’ve decided to continue surrounding No. 1 pick Caleb Williams with weapons.
Odunze starred at Washington for the past two seasons, posting two 1,100-yard campaigns while elevating his stock. He also clocked a 4.45-second 40-yard dash at the Combine, a tenth slower than fellow rookie WR Malik Nabers ran at LSU’s pro day. Odunze led Division I-FBS last season, racking up 1,640 yards to play a central role in the Huskies’ voyage to the CFP national championship game.
While Marvin Harrison Jr. and Nabers seemed destined to be the first two receivers off the board, Odunze seemed to be emerging as the draft’s clear-cut WR3. The 6-foot-3, 212-pound talent ripped off 10 100-yard games last season, including five straight to help the Huskies into the national title game.
Both the Bears and Jets were linked to adding Odunze, and Chicago made the move one pick earlier. The Jets proceeded to trade out of No. 10, and the Bears will equip its No. 1 overall pick with a high-end weapon to complement a now-veteran-heavy receiving corps.
After years of passing attacks dependent on one receiver — be it Allen Robinson, Darnell Mooney or Moore — Chicago has what should be one of the deepest WR cadres in franchise history. As Mooney defected to the Falcons in free agency — following two down seasons in since-fired OC Luke Getsy‘s offense — the Bears have brought in Keenan Allen this offseason. Joining the team via trade (for a fourth-round pick), the elite veteran arrives in a receivers room that already includes D.J. Moore. Odunze should slide right alongside those two veterans, providing Williams with another dynamic receiving threat.
They gave Fields no weapons and give Williams a treasure chest of guys. They still lack oline.
That’s OK because now Fields has George Pickens and a clipboard… just not in that order.
The Bears O line is fine. Once you get rid of Davis Jenkins plays RG and Bates plays LG or C. They got another C and they have other guys to back up, Plus the off season isn’t over yet. The Bears O line got a bad rap because Fields took off running all the time. It’s hard to block for somebody when you never know where he is. Dumb comment. But the WR trio of Moore-Allen and Odunze is certainly the best it’s been for the Bears maybe ever. Scott is still a work in progress but they’re dangerous.
This was a great pick. Surround the young QB you need to be successful with as many weapons as you can. They still have two more picks and if there’s an edge he loves, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Poles package one of his 2nd round picks from next year and the third from this year to move into the second round. Gonna be interesting. Regardless, this was a damn solid 1st round for them.
They still have a below average line. That you don’t see this is funny though.
That’s because it wouldn’t have mattered. Fields will never be a decent NFL QB. He can’t process a defense, he can’t throw a WR open. He consistently can’t find wide open receivers.
Nice kid, by all accounts. But an awful QB
Fields had DJ Moore and Cole Kemet, stop the lying.
And have received no pushback for not addressing that line but taking another receiver, yet the Falcons are skewered for addressing the league’s most important position for the future a pick earlier.
Such a good pick for Chicago. Congrats, Bears fans.
Bears make the two easiest choices of the draft.
The Bears have a fail proof gameplan. They’ll ask the Blackhawks and White Sox what they would do….then do the exact opposite.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, but the Bears passing game just got rebuilt in around an hour.
Actually not bad.
Clever af
Gladiators that didn’t make the grade in Rome got fed to the Lions. Perhaps the Bears were on vacation.
Justin Fields has to be punching air right now watching the bears pick up Allen Odunze to pair with Kmet and Moore. Probably the best WR room Chicago has ever had in its entire franchise history.
Great draft day for Chicago lmao
Poles hit the jackpot in the first round.
I couldn’t believe that the Falcons picked a QB, I figured they would screw it up and take Odunze. I bet Poles was making calls to move back if Rome wasn’t there. He probably said WTF like the rest of the League did.
Bears take another receiver after trading for two veterans recently and still having a line that stinks and that contributed to their last QB pick failing. Genius according to the pundits. Falcons take a QB to succeed their 36-year-old FA signing who has one playoff win in his career with no major holes at any of the positions or fits for their scheme in the edge players projected to this part of the draft, so they take the QB they were very high on and are idiots according to the pundits.