Bears plan for Rome Odunze is scary sign for rest of NFC North

The Chicago Bears had two first-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. It was obvious what they were going to do with one of them, and the Bears did indeed select Caleb Williams to be their franchise quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick. What they were going to do at No. 9 overall, though, remained to be seen.

The Bears could have looked to add their favorite defensive player, as not a single defensive prospect had been selected yet. They could have looked to address their offensive line. Instead, they chose to select a receiver, Rome Odunze.

Odunze joins Keenan Allen and D.J. Moore in one of, if not the best wide receiver rooms in the NFL. Odunze as a WR3 is a tremendous luxury, and one that Chicago is looking forward to taking advantage of. They might even be willing to use Odunze in a way nobody expected.

Bears plan for Rome Odunze should have NFC North rivals shaking in their boots

The Bears are reportedly considering using Odunze as a punt returner, which is a testament to how loaded this Bears offense really is.

The Bears have Allen and Moore etched in as the team's top two receivers. They're not the only receiving options Williams will have at his disposal, but they'll certainly receive the most targets.

Using Odunze in the return game allows Chicago to still give their prized first-round pick touches. He doesn't have much experience as a returner, but Odunze has the ability to make the defense miss, and can put the Bears in great field position.

Listen to what Bears Special Teams Coordinator had to say about Odunze and how Chicago might plan on using him:

“Rome is an every-down player. Rome’s a first-down player, a second-down player, a third-down player and a fourth-down player,” Hightower said,via PFT. “He had three returns on the books and one of those three returns was a house call.”

By using him on every down, the Bears are making it clear that he's a viable option in the receiving game, and will be in consideration to return kicks. Odunze being a jack-of-all-trades player on top of the talent Chicago already has is something that no NFC North team is going to want to deal with.