washington.sidearmsports.com
The 2024 draft class has no shortage of wide receiver talent, and Washington’s Rome Odunze is no exception. After eclipsing a massive 1,600-yard junior season and leading Washington to a national championship berth, the 21-year-old phenom has his sights on becoming one of the NFL’s next superstar receivers.
Washington WR Rome Odunze is such an special catcher of the football. Throws his hands up so late here, doesn't even give the DB a chance to make a play on the ball. pic.twitter.com/bXaGkKaKMQ
Key Attributes and Play Style
You don’t have to watch Odunze for long to see that his size and hands will allow him to be an immediate threat at the NFL level. At 6’ 3 216 lbs, Odunze has a massive catch radius and makes the most of it with his elite torque and ball tracking ability, reminiscent of Terry McLaurin. Despite Odunze's great frame, he doesn’t have the strength of a typical 6’3 athletic freak.
Odunze is hard to bring down after the catch but sometimes has trouble getting rerouted by bigger, more physical corners. Given Odunze's stature, though, there is certainly room to improve this once he finds himself on an NFL training program.
While Odunze is not the most twitchy route runner, he is very fluid, technical and has a quick release. Odunze is particularly effective on routes pushing downfield. Watching Odunze on tape reminded me a lot of watching Chris Olave at Ohio State.
Odunze's strengths as a route runner come from the threat of being able to push downfield despite having some questions about his deep speed. However, the lack of twitchiness in his routes prevents him from being an elite separator like Brandon Aiyuk and CeeDee Lamb.
Odunze doesn’t possess blazing speed, but it’s above average, especially for his size. On top of that, Odunze's great body control and athletic ability allow him to be a dynamic threat after the catch. Odunze has unique athleticism for someone his size.
It is also clear that Odunze is an incredibly smart player. Odunze has a top-notch feel for defenders, a great understanding of settling in soft zone coverages, great instincts, and a knack for getting open.
Odunze certainly doesn't have blazing speed, but people calling him slow are out of their minds. Such a rare size+speed combo. pic.twitter.com/g167fhhDpW
Film Breakdown
Odunze is a player that any coaching staff should be chomping at the bit to add to their receiver room. What Odunze is able to do at such a young age is truly special. I think with some added strength alone, Odunze could become a top-15 type of guy in the league from year one. If Odunze learns to be a more twitchy route runner, we could be looking at a guy who ascends to a top-10 receiver within his first few years in the league.
Final Grade: 88.7 - Early 1st Rounder
For the Full Grade Breakdown, See Instagram @KwonScouting
