Rome Odunze wastes no time becoming Bears fan-favorite with first Packers take

The 2024 NFL Draft will define the Chicago Bears for years — perhaps decades — to come. USC quarterback Caleb Williams became Chicago’s first No. 1 overall pick in 77 years, and the excitement surrounding the rookie couldn't be higher. Williams, who has been touted as a generational talent, broke Caitlin Clark's merchandise sale record after he was drafted by Chicago.

There was more excitement in Chicago just a few picks later. Despite a run on offensive players in the first round, Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze slipped past the Tennessee Titans at No. 7 and the Atlanta Falcons at No. 8. Chicago selected Odunze with the No. 9 overall pick.

A total of 14 offensive players were selected before a single defensive player was selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, the longest stretch of offensive picks in any NFL Draft. Two of those offensive players happened to go to the Bears.

Bears WR Rome Odunze already hates the Packers

It didn't take long for Odunze to get acclimated in Chicago. Moments after he was drafted, Odunze won over fans by confirming he possessed the prerequisite hatred necessary to join the Bears.

"First day hating the Packers, I already can't stand them," Odzune said. "Every time I see Green, I nearly puke."

With back-to-back Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterbacks Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, the Packers were able to maintain a stranglehold over the NFC North for decades. After Rodgers followed in Favre's footsteps by joining the New York Jets, there has been a power vacuum in the division. In the past three seasons, three different teams have won the NFC North. Chicago, unfortunately, was not one of them.

The Bears have won the NFC North just two times since their Super Bowl loss against the Indianapolis Colts in 2006. Even then, they couldn't escape the Packers. One of those division titles still culminated with a loss to Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game.

With Williams and Odunze, the Bears will hope to turn the table.

"I definitely had the mindset to be happy wherever I went, but in the back of my mind [I knew] the Bears visit went tremendously well," Odunze said. "I came into this facility and the attitude and the effort that they put into my visit and into the conversations that we had was incredible. I knew when that phone call came in, it was from Illinois and that it was going to be the Bears, and I was super excited."

Odunze had 92 catches for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns for the Washington Huskies in 2023. He will join veteran wide receivers D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen and tight end Cole Kmet to catch passes from Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner and one of the most coveted prospects in recent history.