Bears Choose UW's Rome Odunze at No. 9 to Pair with Caleb Williams

The Husky wide receiver goes with the pick immediately following Michael Penix Jr.

Rome Odunze was meant for the NFL as this big and fast wide receiver hard to defend between the lines and a totally endearing personality off the field, ideal for building a lasting personal brand as well as upgrading a franchise, a total package indeed.

Sensing a dynamic connection, the Chicago Bears used the ninth pick to choose the University of Washington wide receiver in the NFL Draft in Detroit and make him one of the receiving targets for quarterback Caleb Williams, the Bears' No. 1 pick overall from USC. Maybe anticipating this moment, the two Pac-12 products just spent some time together throwing and catching passes this past week.

Creating plenty of excitement for UW followers, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Odunze went with the pick immediately after Husky quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was taken by the Atlanta Falcons, as the first of up to nine Huskies projected to go in this draft as just reward for a 14-1 and national runner-up season.

Odunze tied Reggie Williams and John Ross as the highest-drafted Husky receivers, with all three of them going with the ninth selection. Williams was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 9 in 2004 and Ross was chosen there by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017.

Emerging from Las Vegas, Odunze worked his way through the pandemic as a UW freshman, a series of injuries as a sophomore and a coaching change away from Jimmy Lake before everythiing came together for him in his final two seasons in Montlake.

As one of the featured players in Kalen DeBoer's pass-minded offense this past winter, Odunze was sensational, catching 92 passes for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns to make himself not only a first-round pick but one of the most desired players at any position.

He finished his four-year UW career with 214 catches for 3,272 yards and 24 touchdowns, numbers that left him second, second and tied for third, respectively, in program annals.

Coming out of the combine and personal interviews and workouts, NFL people raved about his athleticism, likable manner and desire to excel.

Questions immediately arose over who was the best receiver in the draft -- Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr., LSU's Malik Nabers or Odunze, with each player qualifying, depending on a franchise's wants and need. Harrison went at No. 4 to the Arizona Cardinals, while Nabers dropped well behind the other two.

Odunze's ability to use his body and be a physical receiver seems to make him ready to play in the NFL. He wowed people with his game-winning catch against Oregon, where he turned away from his defender and came up with an 18-yard TD grab with 1:38 remaining in a 36-33 decision at Husky Stadium.

He showed off his somewhat surprising speed with a 4.45-second showing at the combine in Indianapolis and with an 83-yard punt return for a score against California in a 59-32 win at Husky Stadium.

For the past several week, Odunze had obliged ESPN and just about anyone seeking an interview, always comfortable in his own shoes. Hours before the draft, Adidas announced it had signed an endorsement deal.

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