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Some scouts believe Rome Odunze to be the best receiver from 2024 NFL Draft class: Report

Some scouts believe Rome Odunze to be the best receiver from 2024 NFL Draft class: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

The Bears got away with exactly who they wanted from the 2024 NFL Draft in April.

Lucking out on the No. 1 pick for a second consecutive offseason, the Bears turned a new leaf by drafting USC quarterback Caleb Williams as the franchise's next signal caller. With their own No. 9 pick, they handed Williams a weapon in Washington receiver Rome Odunze.

Odunze was the third receiver to come off the board. But according to ESPN's Mike Greenberg, some think he should've been the first.

"There were scouts that we heard from who thought he was the best receiver in this class, ahead of [Marvin] Harrison Jr. and ahead of [Malik] Nabers," Greenberg said on ESPN's "Get Up!"

That's quite the statement. Mainly, because Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. is thought to be a generational talent at wide receiver. He recorded back-to-back seasons with over 1,200 yards, adding 28 touchdowns between each season. He also has the sixth-most career receptions in school history.

As for Nabers, he arguably recorded the best season of the trio in 2023. He caught 89 balls, turning in 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns. Nabers is an elite playmaker with incredible tape. Deciding between him and Odunze was a difficult challenge for some scouts.

But the Bears got Odunze, the big-bodied, versatile receiver to pair with DJ Moore and Keenan Allen to create one of the league's most formidable pass-catching groups. He finished with 1,640 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns during his senior season.

Scouts may believe Odunze is the best receiver in the class. But he still has to prove it. He and Williams will start that journey soon.

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