Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
Size:
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 212 pounds
Arm Length: 32 1/4"
Hand Size: 9 1/4"
Accomplishments:
Biletnikoff Award finalist (2023) • First Team All-Pac-12 First Team (2023, 2022) • Third Team All-American (2022)
“Rome Odunze is a true WR1 that dominates at the catch point with strength and confidence. He is a go-to receiver that quarterbacks will love and trust at the next level.”
Strengths:
Route-running
Downfield speed
Body control
High-point specialist
Run-after-catch
Concerns:
Twitch/explosiveness at line of scrimmage
Consistency vs hard press coverage
Defeating double coverage
Film Analysis:
Rome Odunze combines height, weight, and speed that NFL teams look for in an X-receiver. He added 15 pounds before the season to improve his physicality. He dominates at the catch point and plays well through contact. Michael Penix Jr. trusts Odunze in big-time moments to win or close games late. The combination of hand-eye-coordination, leaping ability, and body control made trusting Odunze easier in 2023. His functional strength is evident once the ball is in his hands to generate yards after catch.
He has improved his ability to defeat bump-and-run coverage from press alignment this season. He is doing a better job using his hands to dislodge DBs’ punches in the contact window. This allows him to quickly get into his route.
Odunze is one of the better route runners in the class. For a taller wide receiver, he showcases good pop out of his breaks. He is one of the smoothest movers in the draft. He plays at his pace and is rarely sped up by the defense. Odunze shows good, fluid hip sinkage at the breakpoint of his routes to create separation against man and zone coverages. His football IQ is a strength and he understands how to identify weak spots in the defensive coverage scheme and exploit it.
Odunze is not the most twitchy or explosive athlete out of the gate. He has good down-the-field speed but won’t overwhelm DBs in tight alignment immediately. Even with improved strength and mechanics, fighting through physical, hard press coverage is still a work in process. He was unrecoverable in one-on-one situations this season. Finding ways to defeat double teams and bracket coverages is the next task heading to the NFL.
Odunze is an outstanding wide receiver prospect. He projects as a potential star WR1 for an NFL offense. His alignment versatility paired with impressive height, weight, and speed provides an OC with a chess piece on offense. Odunze can win with route-running, speed, and ball skills. He is a plus-run blocker who gives full effort. He is a complete wide receiver prospect and a day-one starter as a rookie.
Prospect Projection: Day 1 — Pro Bowl Caliber
Written By: Damian Parson
Exposures: Oregon (2023), Oregon (2023), Oregon St. (2023), Texas (2023), Michigan St. (2023), Oregon (2022), Oregon St. (2022), Texas (2022), Washington St. (2022)
