The Las Vegas Raiders don’t have a major need at wide receiver but there’s at least one top prospect who would like to join the team. Washington’s Rome Odunze is considered one of the top three wide receiver prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft and he’s a Las Vegas native.
He admitted that he wants to play for the Raiders and would like to team up with his college quarterback Michael Penix Jr. on the team.
“I’m a fan of the Raiders, and you know being in my hometown, I’m a big fan already,” Odunze told Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio in an April 18 interview. “I’m a very city-orientated young man, so I definitely wouldn’t mind putting on that silver and learning from Davante Adams. Hopefully, they get my boy Penix or someone back there slinging the ball as well, that would be awesome.”
Penix has commonly been linked to the Raiders so there’s a chance he’ll get drafted by the team but Odunze’s chances are much lower. First, the wide receiver will likely be selected before the Raiders pick at No. 13. Second, the team doesn’t have a big enough need at wide receiver to use a first-round pick on one, especially with much more pressing needs.
Rome Odunze Has Been Compared to Davante Adams
While Rome Odunze likely won’t get the opportunity to play with Davante Adams, his game is already very similar to the three-time All-Pro, according to an NFL scout.
“He’s Davante Adams to me, but bigger,” an anonymous NFL scout said of Odunze, per an April 2 X post from Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz. “Watch his releases at the line of scrimmage. There’s some of the same basketball footwork as Adams. Rome’s a classic X, he’s a day one star.”
That’s high praise for Odunze and the Raiders pairing him with Adams would give them an elite wide receiver duo. However, Jakobi Meyers played very well last season and proved to be a capable No. 2 wide receiver. He’s under contract for at least two more seasons so there’s no reason to be looking for a replacement. The Raiders won’t be in the market for Odunze now but his fandom of the team is worth noting if he becomes a free agent in the future.
What About Michael Penix Jr.?
Rome Odunze mentioned Michael Penix Jr. possibly joining the Raiders and that’s much more realistic. Penix has frequently been mocked to the team this offseason. However, it remains to be seen if the Raiders would be willing to use the No. 13 pick on him.
It’s possible that Penix could drop to Las Vegas in the second round but that’d be a risk. There are plenty of teams that need a quarterback that could take a chance on Penix. The Raiders could also use the No. 13 pick on another position and then trade back up into the first round to get Penix. Anything is possible if the Raiders think he can be a franchise quarterback. It’s going to be a big decision for the team to make. Drafting Penix in the first two rounds has the Raiders committing to a quarterback for at least a couple of seasons.
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