NFL Exec Was Shocked Bears Actually Took Rome Odunze

Everybody on the planet knew the Chicago Bears would take Caleb Williams #1 overall in the draft last month. It had been telegraphed for a long time. Such certainty disappeared once conversations shifted to the #9 pick. There was a myriad of directions GM Ryan Poles could go. Many predicted a wide receiver to pair with Williams. Rome Odunze of Washington was one of the most popular names mentioned. Others felt the Bears would target help on one of their lines, with the defensive side being the most popular choice.

The logic was there. Chicago had no definitive second pass rusher opposite Montez Sweat, and their head coach is a defensive guy. They also had some uncertainty at left tackle with Braxton Jones after his neck injury last season. Nobody would've been surprised if the Bears played it safe by staying in the trenches. That didn't happen. Odunze ended up being the pick, after all. One NFL executive expressed surprise and admiration to Mike Sando of The Athletic that Poles was willing to deviate from Chicago's typical behavior to get their young quarterback another weapon.

Cases were also made for selecting another lineman on either side of the ball.

“Chicago already (has) tackles, so to take a lineman in the top 10 who is going to start out at guard versus a receiver who is clean as a whistle, a proven playmaker at a position that has gone up into the $32 million range, I would have gone with Odunze as well,” one exec said.

Rome Odunze was a wise investment for several reasons.

Keep in mind the Bears have taken a 1st round wide receiver in close proximity to their 1st round quarterback twice in modern franchise history. That was when they selected Willie Gault in 1983, a year after grabbing Jim McMahon, and then taking Wendell Davis in 1988 after taking Jim Harbaugh in 1987. Since then, they followed Cade McNown with Brian Urlacher, Rex Grossman with Tommie Harris, Mitch Trubisky with Roquan Smith, and didn't have a 1st after picking Justin Fields. While the Bears got great value on the defensive side in those situations, it came with the risk of never getting their young quarterbacks going.

Would Trubisky's career have been different if the Bears had taken D.J. Moore or Calvin Ridley in 2018? Nobody can say. Either way, it is hard to argue they didn't make the right call going with Rome Odunze. He gives Williams a big-bodied target with excellent hands who can be money on third down. He's also great insurance if Keenan Allen decides to leave as a free agent after this season. For the first time in franchise history, it feels like a Bears quarterback is set up for long-term success.