Giants Reportedly Eyeing Rome Odunze at No. 6, Claims Former Giant

Former Giants center Shaun O'Hara says the Giants are "drooling" over Washington Huskies receiver Rome Odunze.

The New York Giants have many needs to address in both free agency and the draft, and while all that is still to be sorted out hasn't stopped people with close ties to the team from weighing in on what general manager Joe Schoen plans to do.

The latest proclamation comes from former Giants offensive lineman and current NFL Network analyst Shaun O'Hara, who believes that the Giants won't pass on Washington Huskies receiver Rome Odunze if the receiver is on the board when the Giants go on the clock at No. 6.

“I know the Giants are drooling over this guy,” O’Hara said during a segment on NFL Total Access. “If he’s there at six, I don’t see any way they pass him up.”

O’Hara believes that Odunze is the top receiver in this draft class, having moved ahead of Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr, long regarded as the top receiver in this class, thanks to his showing at the combine.

“He may have leap-frogged Marvin Harrison," O'Hara said. "With what Rome Odunze did in the drills, in all the testing, the jumps, the running, I thought he was phenomenal. I think he showed that he is just as smooth as any other receiver out there.”

CBS Sports currently ranks Odunze as the third-best receiver in this class, behind Harrison and LSU's Malik Nabers. Pro Football Focus also has a similar ranking, with Odunze as the third-best graded receiver among the draft eligibles. 

Giants GM Joe Schoen Reveals Qualities He Looks for in a Receiver

Odunze boasted an impressive 75 percent contested catch rate last season (21 of 28), the best mark among draft-eligible receivers with at least 100 pass targets. He is one of the draft prospects the Giants met with at the combine as the team did its due diligence on prospects at every position.

"It was good. It was good," Odunze said when asked about his meeting with the Giants. "The Giants are good people. We were laughing in there a little bit. They were quizzing me on some film. Getting to know who I was and I was getting to know them. It went well. I was excited to meet them.

"I feel like they are good dudes, honestly. They just seem like they had joy in the room. They were excited about the process, they knew ball, of course, and they were excited about their future. I think good things to come."

Schoen also made it a point to say that the team hasn't ruled out drafting a quarterback to add to a position where they only have Daniel Jones, currently recovering from a torn ACL, and Tommy DeVito under contract.

While the debate will rage on regarding whether the Giatns go quarterback or receiver in the first round, it's hard to argue that the Giants offense could use a No. 1 receiver, something they haven't had since 2018 when Odell Beckham Jr, also their last receiver to record 1,000 receiving yards in a season, was on the team.

Getting a top-shelf receiver for the offense could open a world of possibilities for a Giants offense that last year aimed to be more explosive but came up woefully short in that regard.

---

 

• Follow and like us on Facebook
• Submit your questions for our mailbag.
• Follow Patricia Traina on Instagram.
• Check out the Giants Country YouTube Channel.
• Subscribe and like the LockedOn Giants YouTube Channel