Skip to main content
Bear Digest

Receiver Visit to Halas Hall Could Indicate Rome Odunze Challenge

The Bears brought in one of the fastest wide receivers from the scouting combine and their interest could be a message for at least one current wide receiver.
Gene Chamberlain|
Mississippi wideout De'Zhaun Stribling will reportedly have a Halas Hall visit.
Mississippi wideout De'Zhaun Stribling will reportedly have a Halas Hall visit. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

In this story:

Chicago Bears

The Bears dealt away a beloved, veteran wide receiver, so it only stands to reason they feel a need to replace him.

Apparently this would be the idea with interest being shown in De'Zhaun Stribling, the Mississippi wide receiver who has been projected as a fourth- or fifth-round but impressed at the combine.

Stribling had a 30 visit to Halas Hall according to ESPN's Ryan  Fowler. It would seem he is a potential DJ Moore replacement as a more classical X-type receiver.

Or is that all there is to this interest? The assessments of Stribling's abilities say he's best at doing the same thing as 2024 first-round pick Rome Odunze. Perhaps there are even things he's better at doing.

Stribling is considered a vertical threat who is excellent at going up for  the football. Odunze came to the Bears with the label that 50-50 balls become 75-25 balls. However, last year Odunze finished the season with a fractured foot and with a few key dropped passes. He officially had only two regular-season drops and reduced his total from 2024, when he had six as a rookie. He did have one critical loss against the Rams at the goal line in the playoffs in addition to the regular-season drops.

Remember coach Ben Johnson's promise when the season ended.

"We still can get better in some areas," he said. "When I think about being fundamentally sound, we have to do a better job catching the football next year. And I can tell you right now, that'll be a point of emphasis for us when they come back in the springtime."

One of Stribling's strengths is holding onto the ball. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound receiver had a dropped catch rate of 1.8% last year.

Beyond that, Stribling ran 4.36 seconds for the 40-yard dash at the combine. This was the 14th fastest time this year at any position and would make him the fastest Bears receiver if drafted. Odunze ran 4.45 in 2024 and Luther Burden ran 4.41 last year.

Stribling had a 9.88 relative athletic score, the fifth-best at the combine  for receivers.

One other thing, Stribling has been considered a solid to good blocker whether it was at Mississippi, or before that at Oklahoma State and at Washington State.

"You know, just trying to establish dominance however I can," Stribling said at the combine. "I feel like that's part of the game--running and hitting. So just doing my part and blocking someone and making the running back's life way easier."

And remember Ben Johnson's mantra: "No block, no rock."

Odunze last year was graded as a better blocker for the run by Pro Football Focus than he had been as a rookie. He had the third-best grade among wide receivers at doing this.

Moore has been the best blocking Bears wide receivers, so they'll need to  replace that ability. They might get some of this from veteran acquisition Kalif Raymond, but he doesn't figure as a long-term receiver solution with a one-year contract at the age of 32.

While Stribling has many pluses, he is graded 112th by PFF and ranks 151st on the NFL Mock Draft Data Base, so this is a fourth-round to fifth-round level player. His weaknesses are abilities to get separation with his route running despite his straight-line speed, and also get downfield after the catch. In other words, his playing speed hasn't always been apparent with yards after the catch but he has averaged over 14 yards a catch three straight years.

"I feel like I've done it all," Stribling said at the combine. "I'm very versatile in what I  do at the receiving position. I did a lot this year for Ole' Miss, you know, vertical threat, catching practice throws and also blocking a lot."

Stribling is not a slot receiver at all. About 80% of his routes have come on the outside.

All in all, this doesn't sound like an immediate starter. It sounds like a player they could have an interest in as a player to challenge existing starters and key role players, and even take away a job.

More Chicago Bears News

X: BearsOnSI

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

Home/News