Rome Odunze, picked 9th overall by the Bears, was the third receiver picked in the draft after Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers. However, being picked after Maserati Marv could play in his favor, as recently discussed by Colin and John Middlekauff on the Colin Cowherd Podcast.
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While reacting to the 2024 NFL draft, the duo argued that the Chicago Bears most certainly won in the off-season and will look like an absolute powerhouse when the regular season starts. At the same time, since they have a wealth of offensive weapons, their new star receiver won’t have to put in a similar effort as his contemporaries, who were picked to go into a situation where they would be asked to make an immediate impact.
Middlekauff asserted that Harrison Jr., going into Arizona, would have to start immediately and be the main offensive weapon for Kyler Murray, carrying the bulk of the load. Rome, however, may not face the same pressure because the Bears signed star receiver Keenan Allen, and also have DJ Moore to share the workload.
Odunze was the main weapon for Michael Penix Jr. and had 1640 yards on 92 receptions, contributing 13 TDs. John stated that even half of that output would work for the star wideout in his first season in the NFL.
“You know the best part about Rome Odunze, he doesn’t have to do that much. He was the lead dog in Washington and he was a fantastic player, but he gets to ease in,” Middlekauff argued. “(On the other hand) Marvin Harrison has no choice. Anything less than 80-90 catches, they’re not getting enough out of him, given his group. So Rome, if he just has 45-50 catches, maybe 6 TDs, you’re awesome, even though it’s the 9th pick, you’d like more. But given this team, this year, they’re not as dependent on their young wide receiver as a lot of teams are when they draft a guy high.”
While they expect him to grow and learn from the experienced receivers ahead of him, they would want Odunze to increase his production once Keenan Allen leaves.
Marvin Harrison Jr. vs. Rome Odunze
MHJ and Odunze, both top-10 picks, will soon be starting their NFL journey. While both are 21, Rome comes with more experience than the new Cardinals wideout, having played an extra year in college than Harrison. A star for the Buckeyes, he hardly played during his freshman year, being 4th in the pecking order behind Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. After all three declared for the draft, MHJ became the main weapon for C.J. Stroud.
As per ESPN, in his two seasons as a starter, Marvin Harrison Jr. conjured up 2475 yards with 28 touchdowns. He ended his CFB career with 2613 yards and 31 TDs, having played 37 games. Odunze, on the other hand, joined the Huskies a year earlier than MHJ. However, he rose to prominence only in the past two years. After starting 8 games in his first two seasons, and gaining only 487 yards, he broke into the team in his sophomore year, becoming a starter in Washington in 2022.
In the 2022 season, he recorded 1145 yards on 75 receptions and found the end zone seven times. Last season, he put up impressive numbers and played in the National Championship. On 92 receptions, averaging 17.8 yards per catch, he racked up 1,640 yards and an impressive 13 TDs.
Case in point: both wideouts have different qualities. While Marvin is a traditional receiver who lines up at the line of scrimmage with his big size and who would beat the tight press coverage with his excellent route running, Odunze excels at everything. He can line up outside or in a slot. Maserati Marv will outperform Odunze in his first year in the league because the Cardinals would need him to. Rome Odunze, though ready to be a starter, will likely warm the bench for a year before he takes over the starting role. Needless to say, both are destined for long careers and success.
