Dane Brugler: Bears can't pass on WR Rome Odunze if he's available at No. 9 overall

(670 The Score) The Bears should have enticing options with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and will have several positional needs to address.

For NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler of The Athletic, there’s one prospect in particular whom the Bears should covet with the ninth pick — Washington receiver Rome Odunze.

“I don’t know how you pass on Rome Odunze if he is there at the No. 9 pick,” Brugler told the Mully & Haugh Show on Friday. “No doubt, the phone will be ringing off the hook, you will hear different offers from different teams moving up to that spot, maybe even the Bills trying to get up that far or the Colts at 15 trying to get up to get one of these guys.

“When you’re drafting Caleb Williams to be the guy for the next 10 years – Keenan Allen is not going to be on this team in 10 years. You’re thinking about for the 2025 roster, the 2026 roster and you think about Rome Odunze and what he can be for the long-term of the organization, I just don’t think you pass on that.

“There’s no such thing as a can’t-miss player in the draft. The words should not be uttered when it comes to NFL prospects. But Rome Odunze might be the closest thing to that.”

Odunze had 92 receptions for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. He's projected to be drafted in the top 10. Whether he'll be available at No. 9 remains the question, though the Bears could benefit from several quarterbacks being selected between their spot with the No. 1 overall pick and the No. 9 selection.

The NFL Draft begins April 25 in Detroit.