Bears star Keenan Allen likes what he's seen so far from rookie WR Rome Odunze

Keenan Allen likes what he has seen so far from Chicago's number nine overall pick in the draft

LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS - JUNE 06: Rome Odunze #15, Keenan Allen #13, and DJ Moore #2 of the Chicago Bears practice during the Chicago Bears mandatory minicamp at Halas Hall on June 06, 2024 in Lake Forest, Illinois. / (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

The Chicago Bears have had serious issues developing quarterbacks for the past 100 years or so. Aside from trading for Jay Cutler their history in the modern era has been abysmal, with no other NFL team getting such consistently poor results at the game's most-important position. The franchise's latest effort to break that curse is Caleb Williams out of USC, who they took with the number one overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

If things are going to be different this time around, the Bears will have to do a better job of building up the supporting cast around Williams than they have for his predecessors. One thing they have gotten right is putting together a strong wide receiver unit. After trading for Los Angeles Chargers star Keenan Allen, the team doubled down here by taking Washington's Rome Odunze with the ninth overall pick in the draft.

While Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. and LSU's Malik Nabers were generally ranked higher than Odunze, there were some scouts who believed he was actually the best receiver in this class. At the very least Keenan Allen likes what he has seen from Odunze so far. Here he is talking about his first impressions of Odunze at training camp.

Keenan Allen talking about his first impressions of Rome Odunze.

“He’s in shape. He can run, he’s physical, he’s big, he’s everything that you’re looking for in a number 1 wide receiver”

(Via Speak YT) pic.twitter.com/87LCxh8csP

— ImBearingDown (@ImBearingDown) July 27, 2024

While that sounds good, it's understandable if Bears fans are skeptical after a century of mediocrity in the passing game, not counting a few years of Cutler balling with Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery. To win them over, Odunze will have to prove himself on the field.

Today the Bears and their fanbase got another good sign, there. Here's Odunze catching a touchdown pass from Williams at practice.

Caleb Williams caps off a 3-play, highly efficient drive with an absolute dime to WR Rome Odunze for the TD! The rookies continue to impress. #DaBears
pic.twitter.com/u76bzA4YB7

— Ben Devine (@Chicago_NFL) July 30, 2024

Along with the criminally underrated D.J. Moore, these three make up the best wide receiver group in the NFC North and one of the best in the NFL. ESPN analyst Mike Clay has this Chicago receiver corps ranked sixth in the league going into the 2024 season.