The NFL Scouting Combine is a great chance for prospects to boost their draft stock, but surefire high first-round picks like Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze don’t necessarily have to do anything. In fact, when you’re projected to go as early as Odunze, going through drills can often only hurt you.
While Ohio State star Marvin Harrison Jr. and LSU wideout Malik Nabers opted not to participate in Indy, Odunze embraced the chance to show what he could do, with a blend of size and athleticism seldom seen in the NFL Draft.
It just goes to show how loaded this group of receivers is that Odunze isn’t the consensus WR1. Himself, Harrison or Nabers could earn that designation running away in any other year. The 2024 class is special that way, highlighted on Saturday by Texas speedster Xavier Worthy’s record-breaking 40-yard dash of 4.21 seconds.
You’ll notice that one of the two outliers on Odunze’s RAS athletic profile is the 3-cone drill. That’s designed to measure lateral quickness, change of direction and general agility, as is the short shuttle. When it comes to the 3-cone, anything faster than seven seconds is exceptional on its own. For somebody who’s approximately 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds, it’s even more impressive.
But Odunze seemed to think he could hit 6.6 seconds, and worked extensively after everyone else had left to try to get there.
Odunze fell well short of hitting that 6.6-second time, per the Combine’s official records. However, this didn’t seem like a disingenuous stunt for the cameras, where he’s fishing for a compliment with the whole, “look how hard I’m working” routine. Odunze just looks like a dude who loves ball. As Michael Penix Jr.’s favorite target this past season, Odunze reeled in 92 receptions for 1,640 yards and 13 TDs.
Not only is Odunze’s explosiveness self-evident by the numbers he put up at the Combine — he’s a menace at the catch point for defensive backs. Those “50-50” jump balls literally turn into 75-25 opportunities for Odunze. Or at least they did in 2023, when he led the country in contested catches (21) and came down with 75% of them, per PFF.
So yeah, this young man is the epitome of, “*** it, Rome’s down there somewhere.” Whichever quarterback has the privilege of throwing to Odunze when he hits the next level should have an instantly impactful rookie who could be among the game’s best receivers in short order.
Among the receiver-needy teams in the draft who make the most sense among the teams Odunze met with are the Giants (No. 6), Titans (No. 7) and Bears (No. 9). If Chicago could come away with Caleb Williams as their new franchise QBÂ and get him a playmaker like Odunze to pair opposite DJ Moore, that Bears offense could be looking very, very good this coming season.
