JetNation Prospect Profile: Washington WR Rome Odunze

Having addressed their offensive line with the additions of Tyron Smith, John Simpson and Morgan Moses, there’s more speculation than ever that the New York Jets will be adding a pass catcher with the tenth pick in the draft.  One name that has been pitched is Georgia tight end Brock Bowers who we profiled here.

Another popular choice among Jets fans is Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze.  What does Odunze bring?  Let’s take a look.

Player Name: Rome Odunze

Position: Wide Receiver

School: Washington

Height: 6′ 3”

Weight: 212

Hand Size: 9 1/4”

Arm Size: 32 1/4”

40-Yard Dash: 4.45

Vertical Jump: 39”

Broad Jump: 10′ 4”

3-Cone Drill: 6.88

20-yd Shuttle: 4.03

10-yd split: 1.52

Bench Press:  N/A

Hometown: Las Vegas, NV

High School: Bishop Gorman

Class/Age: Junior, 21

Recruit: ★★★★ (Rivals.com)

Film Study

Games Watched: Michigan State (2023), Arizona (2022), Oregon State (2022), USC (2023), Oregon (2022).

@UW_Football WR Rome Odunze has some of the best hands in this year's class and his footwork for a 6' 3'' receiver is very impressive. Agile big man with great hands should be a top 10 pick. pic.twitter.com/ifu2TpFriE

— Glenn Naughton (@JetsPicks) March 18, 2024

Route Running: A smooth route runner who exploits open areas against zone coverage.

Hands: On film, Odunze’s hands are some of the best we’ve seen in all of college football this year.  According to PFF, he dropped just 3 passes all season, giving him a drop rate of just 3.2%.

Release: Another area where Odunze stands out.  Rare quickness for his size.

Separation/Quickness: Given his physical attributes you would expect to see far more separation from Oduzne but he’s often having to make contested catches given to opposing DB’s being able to keep up with him.

Ball Skills: Uses his hands, body control and ability to attack the ball to come down with tons of contested catches.  Some of the best ball skills in the class.

Speed: A sprinter in high school, Oduzne’s 4.45 speaks for itself.

Size: Odunze uses every bit of his 6′ 3” frame to beat opposing DB’s for contested catches.

Run Blocking: This is probably the biggest concern we noted.  Far too often we saw Odunze opting to become a spectator on run plays.

Versatility:  Odunze played a handful of snaps in the slot but in all likelihood will primarily be boundary receiver.

Notes:

2023 All-American

2023 Biletnikoff Award Finalist

2023 All-Pac 12

Summary:

Odunze is well on his way to being a top 10 pick.  His eye popping 2023 numbers at Washington (92/1,640/13) are off-the-charts.  Taking a step back as a pro wouldn’t be a huge surprise as Odunze will be facing defenders who won’t be quite as easy to handle when he can’t get separation.   Teams also may not love his lack of willingness to block but he brings enough to the table as a pass catcher that most will look past it.

Glenn Naughton

Glenn was Born in the Bronx, New York and has followed the Jets religiously despite being stationed in several different countries and time zones around the world. He now resides in England and has been a JetNation member since 2005. Glenn will bleed green with the rest of us through the highs and lows.

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