Rome Odunze NFL Draft Stock: 5 teams that need star Washington WR
By John Buhler
It may be a great draft for quarterbacks, but the top-end of the wide receiver group looks to be exceptional. Where things stand now, I have Washington Huskies wide receiver Rome Odunze as my WR2 behind only Marvin Harrison Jr. of Ohio State. While the former is probably going to be the first non-quarterback taken this spring, I would venture to guess Odunze will not make it past pick No. 16.
What I like the most about Odunze's game is that he has an incredible knack for getting open. As Michael Penix Jr.'s favorite target on the national title hopeful Huskies, Odunze has been there every step of the way in helping these Underdawgs win game after game you did not expect them to. The tricky part in figuring out where Odunze could go has everything to do with his NFL Draft positioning.
I liken Odunze to be the next Cooper Kupp coming out. The former Eastern Washington star became the reason why the Los Angeles Rams won Super Bowl 56 over the Cincinnati Bengals two years ago in one of the greatest receiving seasons ever. The problem with Odunze is he is a top-10 talent, but will be going into a draft where wide-receiver-needy teams are not picking into the mid-to-late teens.
Regardless, here are five NFL teams I think Odunze would have a great deal of success playing for.
Rome Odunze NFL Draft Stock: 5 teams who need the Washington WR
5. New York Giants may be the earliest Rome Odunze comes off the board
The New York Giants are about the earliest spot where Odunze could semi-realistically be coming off the board. The G-Men had another season from hell and will be picking inside the top 10 again. Apparently, last year was the anomaly and not a sign of more good things to come. I think this all comes down to what head coach Brian Daboll feels about Daniel Jones under center going forward.
If Daboll is willing to give Danny Dimes one more year, then I could understand the Giants reaching on a talented wide receiver in Odunze inside of the top 10. What I think this does is it gives Jones every reason to succeed next season. If he cannot, then it will be up to Daboll and Giants general manager Joe Schoen to draft Jones' successor. In doing so, he would have a plethora of weapons around him.
Because this is such a great quarterback draft class, I tend to believe that the Giants will bite the bullet and pivot off Jones in favor of something newer and shinier. It could be a way for Daboll and Schoen to protect themselves in a CYA initiative of sorts. However, if the Giants want to roll with Jones, as they either can't or aren't interested in drafting Jayden Daniels, then I would get Odunze.
Adding Odunze to the Giants' offense could help them complete more passes downfield in 2024.