Rome Odunze will be counted on to be Chicago’s downfield wide receiver to start 2025

Anticipation continues to build for the Bears’ first regular season game on Monday Night against the Minnesota Vikings at home, with all eyes on new head coach Ben Johnson and second-year quarterback Caleb Williams. Fans and NFL analysts are eager to see how Chicago’s offense performs with a new offensive scheme under a play-caller who oversaw a top ten unit for the last three season in Detroit. One offensive player who is flying under the radar but will be counted on early as the team’s big-play pass-catcher will be second-year wide receiver Rome Odunze, who will have a sizeable role early to begin the season.

Rome Odunze will need to be Chicago’s downfield deep threat early in 2025

Last year during the 2024 NFL Draft, general manager Ryan Poles used the ninth overall selection, and Chicago second of two first round picks, on Washington receiver Rome Odunze. Odunze was seen as one of the top three wide receivers in the 2024 draft class, as he along with Marvin Harrison Jr and Malik Nabers were selected in the top ten. Pass-catching prospect from Washington was heralded for his immense production, especially downfield as he was not only able to beat opposing defenders deep via his speed but also win one-on-one throws due to his large catching radius.

During his rookie campaign last year, Odunze’s role in Chicago’s passing offense was a set one due to a litany of circumstances, whether due to inconsistent play-calling or due to immense collection of talent at the position already. Before the Bears’ drafted Rome Odunze, the offense already featured elite wide receivers in DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, who had combined for over ten 1,000 receiving seasons. With the addition of the pass-catching prospect from Washington, the Bears’ passing offense was expected to be one of the best in 2024 while being seen a near perfect complement of weapons for Williams in his rookie campaign.

Unfortunately, there were issues throughout the year for Chicago, especially on offense as the team went through numerous offensive play-callers during the regular season, which hampered Odunze’s rookie season. In 2024, Rome Odunze would finish with 54 receptions, 734 receiving yards, and just three touchdowns, in what many analysts saw as a lackluster rookie campaign. One issue that plagued the Bears’ rookie receiver was that it appeared that there was no set role, as the Washington product was frequently either lining up out wide or being deployed in the slot.

With Johnson as the new head coach and new play-caller, along with Allen signing elsewhere in free agency, it appears likely that Rome Odunze with have a set role, especially early on in the passing offense. Although Caleb Williams struggled with deep throw connection last year, the one wide receiver he seemed to have the most success with downfield was Odunze. Several of the rookie’s longest pass-completions and longest air-yard throws went to his fellow rookie wide receiver, including a 47-yard catch in Week 3 and a 44-yard reception in Week 9 against Arizona.

Heading into Monday’s season opener, it appears that Odunze will likely be Johnson and Williams’ likely deep ball target early on, given the state of the wide receiver position. Moore could be used on shorter routes, especially now as he has been taking snaps while lined up in the backfield due to Chicago’s depleted running back position. Although rookie pass-catcher Luther Burden was drafted this year to be the team’s slot and long-term deep ball wide receiver, it appears he has struggled to be fully acclimated with the starting offense, as he never took snaps with the first unit during the preseason.

Johnson will likely try to keep the offensive scheme and passing offense as simple as possible for Williams early to start the season, which could lead to him using Rome Odunze as a consistent deep threat with the duo’s familiarity last year. Odunze’s size and speed combination, paired with a proven ability to win contested throws, will be the safest option to deploy for downfield throws of the team’s top three wide receivers. With Johnson’s desire to consistently used play-action play-designs to freeze opposing defenders, the second-year wide receiver could be a legitimate threat on downfield routes.

Rome Odunze needs to have a breakout second season in the NFL and can be aided by Ben Johnson

Heading into his second NFL season, it is imperative that Odunze takes the next step towards becoming Chicago’s top wide receiver for the future, along with becoming one of the top pass-catchers in the league. There will be a lot of scrutiny if Rome Odunze struggles in his second season due to how high he was taken in the first round, along with the other wide receivers that were taken in the first round. Bears’ fans will be highly critical of Poles for taking a pass-catcher with the ninth overall selection, especially when other pass-catchers taken later in the first round will have proven to have been more productive, including Brian Thomas and Brock Bowers.

Odunze being placed in a position to generate significant pass-catching numbers will help to prove that he was the right pick at nine for the Bears, which appears to be what is transpiring with Johnson as the team’s new play-caller. During Chicago’s final preseason game against Kanas City, the offensive play-caller dialed up several deep throw targets for Rome Odunze, one which was dropped with other being completed for a 38-yard run and catch. Given that it was the last game before the regular season, it appeared that the Bears’ head coach was prepping his second-year wide receiver for the concentrated role of being the offense’s deep threat.

The key to Johnson’s passing offense is not only to piggyback off the success of running the ball, but to confuse opposing defenses with unique play-designs from traditional formations. This could lead to a scenario where Rome Odunze is targeted on a deep throw, despite Chicago’s offense being in what appears to be a run heavy formation. Last year in Detroit, Johnson utilized Jameson Williams as the offense’s downfield deep threat, which resulted in Williams recording over 1,000 receiving yards, including an 82-yard touchdown against the Bears.

Although all eyes will be on Johnson and Williams when the Bears take the field on Monday Night against the Vikings, there will be a good number of fans and analysts looking to see how Rome Odunze performs. Odunze is in the opposite situation that he was in last year, as he has a set role on offense while it doesn’t appear that he will be battling other proven pass-catchers for targets from the team’s quarterback. There are high expectations for Chicago’s new offense in 2025 and if the unit is successful, it will be because of the downfield success of their second-year wide receiver.