The Chicago Bears spent their first two picks of the 2025 NFL draft on pass catchers to bolster the arsenal around second-year QB Caleb Williams, but that wasn’t a commentary on the playmakers the franchise already had on the roster.
Head coach Ben Johnson recently spoke about one such player in strong terms — wide receiver Rome Odunze, the No. 9 overall pick in 2024.
“The way he approaches the meeting room, the walkthroughs, the on the field [work], the drill work — he’s much like a seasoned pro,” Johnson said on Thursday, May 22. Some of the best I have been around.”
Rome Odunze Poised for Breakout Campaign in Second NFL Season
GettyWide receiver Rome Odunze of the Chicago Bears.
Odunze finished last season, his rookie campaign, with 54 receptions for 734 yards and three touchdowns.
While those numbers are far from spectacular, so was the Bears’ pass attack and its offense in general. Chicago lost 10 games in a row at one point, as the offensive line struggled to protect Williams, who opposing defenses sacked the most times of any QB in 2024 (68 sacks total).
Johnson, the offensive mastermind of the Detroit Lions‘ ascent over the past few seasons, should help those issues significantly as Chicago’s new head coach. That he brought in three new starting offensive linemen to upgrade the unit’s entire interior should also help.
Odunze was also the third option for much of last year behind DJ Moore and Keenan Allen. The latter, however, has moved on, which clears a path for Odunze to claim the WR2 spot alongside Moore in what should be a far more dynamic and potent offense than the one Matt Eberflus installed in 2024.
Bears’ Addition of WR Luther Burden III Should Help Rome Odunze, not Hurt Him
GettyWide receiver Luther Burden III of the Chicago Bears.
The additions of tight end Colston Loveland (No. 10 pick) and wideout Luther Burden III (No. 39 pick) will add a couple more pass catchers to the mix alongside Moore, Odunze and tight end Cole Kmet.
That said, the versatility that personnel should provide the Bears’ offense could ultimately benefit everyone’s statistics — at least, for the most part — while also impacting winning in a serious way.
Burden will likely start as the slot receiver, and Johnson raved about his talents ahead of OTAs, which began on May 20.
“I mean, you saw the highlights, right? He’s a playmaker waiting to happen,” Johnson said of Burden. “He went to the same high school, I believe, as Jameson Willams. Jame-O texted me right after we took him and he said, ‘You got a dog, just like me.’ Luther has that same confidence, he’s got that same swagger to him. For 6-foot, 200-plus pounds, it’s rare to see somebody with his movement skills. He can stop on a dime and accelerate just like that. Give him a little bit of space, and he can make big things happen.”
Unfortunately, Burden is currently dealing with a soft-tissue injury, which caused him to miss the first few days of OTAs. Beyond that, his return timeline remains a question mark.
“He wasn’t there today,” Johnson told media members on Wednesday. “We’re working through a soft-tissue deal with him right now, and it remains to be seen when we’ll get him back.”
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