The Bears knew long before the draft that they were going to take quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick. And they also knew long before the draft that wide receiver Rome Odunze was the player they wanted at No. 9.
Bears General Manager Ryan Poles told Pat McAfee that on the Bears’ color-coded draft chart, Odunze was marked as a player they absolutely would not pass on if they had the chance to sign him, and that the Bears did not consider trading down.
“Rome was at the top of our list,” Poles said. “We have our draft board separated by different colors, and there are certain guys you don’t pass up, and Roma is one of them. It’s hard to find a guy who is that big and that talented at receiver, and is an unbelievable human being as well. There was no movement outside Rome.”
Odunze joins a wide receiver group that returns last year’s No. 1 receiver DJ Moore and added veteran Keenan Allen this offseason. The three could prove to be the best trio of wide receivers in the NFL. That’s great news for Williams.
