Rome Odunze: NFL Draft profile, Fantasy Football & Dynasty outlook, full scouting report, more

Odunze might be one of the safest prospects in the entire draft class

Rome Odunze was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Nevada while also winning the state title for the 200-meter dash en route to being recruited to stay out west with Washington. He now enters the 2024 NFL Draft as one of the best wide receiver prospects and one of the best prospects overall. In fact, Odunze might end up my WR3 in this draft class despite also being the highest-graded receiver prospect for me in seven of the last 10 draft classes -- that's how stacked the top of this class (and the depth of it) truly is. Odunze is an immediate first-round pick in rookie Fantasy Football Dynasty drafts and his skill set (which we'll get to shortly) makes him a better bet than most to be an immediate Fantasy Football contributor in a game that awards a large % of points to dominant red zone threats.

Odunze was also a team captain and drew rave reviews from NFL teams for his interviews at the Combine and on private visits -- his high football IQ is expected to help him transition to the speed of the NFL game fast.

Odunze may not be the first receiver off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he'll bring an NFL-ready skill set as one of the three receivers in the class I feel confident can win at all three levels -- short, intermediate and vertical. He has already won at all three levels, with consistency at the collegiate level. But the draft is a projection game and Odunze's skill set projects very well for a future NFL franchise and for your Dynasty and Fantasy Football franchises too. 

Age as of Week 1: 21 | Height: 6-foot-2 3/4 | Weight: 212

Comparable body-type to: Allen Robinson

We're breaking down everything you need to know about Odunze from a Fantasy manager perspective, including best fits, Dynasty outlook, measurables, scouting report, key stats and an NFL comparison.

Dynasty outlook

Odunze has the size, proven contested-catch ability, strong hands, release package, technical skills (stacking the cornerback) and more to project as an immediate starting X receiver in any NFL offensive system. Odunze's ability to win in contested catch situations (arguably the best contested-catch prospect since Ja'Marr Chase) will likely make him a preferred target immediately on money downs -- third down and in the red zone. Odunze will likely follow Marvin Harrison Jr. and potentially Malik Nabers in rookie-only drafts depending on where he (and Odunze) lands in the draft. However, landing spot will be a much greater role in 2024 redraft leagues rather than Dynasty leagues. In our Dynasty SuperFlex draft from the end of February, Odunze came off the board at No. 6 overall and that feels like a likely floor for him no matter where he lands. It's unlikely J.J. McCarthy jumps him, but still possible if he lands with the right team.

Best realistic Fantasy fits

Los Angeles Chargers

Justin Herbert found success with a big-bodied X receiver who was dominant in contested-catch situations with elite body control in Mike Williams. Shifting to a run-first system with Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman as offensive coordinator should open up even more one-on-one looks for the X receiver. Herbert has the arm talent to put the ball up for Odunze and is a near-perfect fit for his skill set. Envision Matthew Stafford with Kenny Golladay and now upgrade the receiver because Odunze is a much more complete version of the Golladay prototype. 

Chicago Bears

The Bears are all but guaranteed to draft Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick and if my projection holds true, he'll immediately enter the NFL as one of the top-10 arm talents in the league with an almost identical release to Aaron Rodgers. Williams is one of the most talented quarterbacks available to be paired with any of these elite wide receiver prospects and Odunze is the most likely to fall to where the Bears pick in Round 1. Sure, he'll have competition for targets with D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen, but Odunze complements their skill sets and would immediately be a red-zone threat in Chicago's reshaped vertically-oriented offensive system under Shane Waldron. Odunze could be used in a similar role to how Seattle has used D.K. Metcalf. 

Scouting report

Strengths

• Impressive frame -- lengthy but sturdy.
• Fluid mover at all levels of the field and especially fluid for an athlete who is nearly 6-3.
• Incredibly strong grip strength and reliable hands -- 92nd percentile catch rate in 2023. Grip strength shows up any time Odunze extends away from his frame to pluck the football out of the air. 

• Demonstrated ability to win at all three levels -- short, intermediate and vertical -- with the traits that project him to be a winner at all three levels vs. NFL defenses. 
• The best contested-catch receiver in the draft class -- Odunze hauled in an absurd 75% of his contested-catch attempts in 2023, per PFF. 
• Already has a varied release package to create separation off the line of scrimmage and beat press coverage. Matt Harmon of Reception Perception and Yahoo! Sports charted Odunze as having a 92nd percentile success rate against press coverage.
• Elite body control both in the air and when setting up defenders on the vertical plane -- positions his body to either make the catch or draw a penalty -- Odunze led all receivers in CFB in pass interference calls draws (with nine) in 2023.
• Elite leaping ability (39-inch vertical) that is on full display countless times throughout his tape when he high-points the football to make big catches down the field or by the sideline. 
• Better-than-advertised after the catch on screens and passes around the line of scrimmage due to his spatial awareness -- he knows where the first down marker is at all times and how to position himself post catch to maximize yardage. He doesn't dance or try to win the edge with speed.
• Plenty fast on the vertical plane with 4.47 timed speed but also the ability to tempo his routes and create vertical separation with his technique. 
• Plenty examples of Odunze showing "late hands" which make it difficult for a trailing cornerback to play the football in the air -- this is part of why Odunze was so successful on the vertical plane.
• Can play both outside and inside the slot due to his wide array of releases off the line of scrimmage and he has a more advanced route tree than most receivers entering the NFL. 
• Tough, physical and effective as a blocker. 

Concerns

• Doesn't have that second gear speed that you see with Nabers and other top-end athletes. This was backed up by his good but not great 10-yard and 20-yard split times. 
• Not a large sample size when it comes to slants and in-breaking routes -- he had just six targets there in 2023. However, when you watch the tape, it's easy to project Odunze as having the traits to win in these areas in the NFL. His lack of middle of the field targets are more a product of the system he played in and his quarterback.
• Not the most sudden/explosive receiver when it comes to sinking his hips at the top of his route stem, but this is not a major concern, just an area where he's not in the elite tier among his peers. 

Stats breakdown

Advanced stats to know

• Led all college receivers in deep (20+ air yards) catches with 23 and deep yards with 783, per PFF
• Drew a college-football best nine pass interference penalties
• Led all of college football in contested catches with just 21, per PFF
• 92nd percentile catch rate -- just three dropped passes in 2023
• Explosive play rate was 31.3% which was slightly ahead of Nabers but behind Harrison Jr.
• Forced 15 missed tackles -- 35th-best among all college football receivers in 2023, per PFF
• Led all of college football with 20 end zone targets. Remember -- targets are earned

NFL Comparison

Sometimes in this industry, you'll read a player comparison and then you can't get it out of your head. Matt Harmon compared Odunze to Davante Adams and we had Matt Waldman of the RSP on the Dynasty Football podcast -- he compared Odunze to Allen Robinson. Those are great comps, but I see Odunze as a bigger version of Chris Olave -- kudos to PFF's Trevor Sikkema for putting that in my head. Both Odunze and Olave are smooth operators who move effortlessly on the football field and can create vertical separation with their route running. Olave is faster, but Odunze is bigger and much better in contested-catch situations.