Ryan Poles was thrilled Rome Odunze fell to the Bears: 'I was nervous that he wasn't going to be there'

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — While leading the Bears through a rebuilding process across the past two years, general manager Ryan Poles focused on adding roster depth in the NFL Draft. He sought as many bites at the apple as he could get.

It's different these days for the Bears, who are entering their third season under Poles’ watch with the hope of emerging as a contender. In the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday evening, Chicago selected USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick, then faced a key decision with the No. 9 pick.

Rather than trading down to add draft capital, Poles and the Bears filed their selection with the best player available on their board: Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze.

“If you told me we’d end up with both Caleb and Rome weeks ago, I would’ve said you’re crazy,” Poles said late Thursday night at Halas Hall after the completion of the first round.

“I was nervous that he wasn’t going to be there at (pick) 9. Our simulations, he was about a 50-50 shot on whether he was going to be there. But as it started to unfold, (assistant general manager Ian Cunningham) had to hold me back from not trying to trade up and doing something crazy to get him.

“I was nervous that that wasn’t going to work out or we’d have to make a move to make that work out.”

The 6-foot-3, 212-pound Odunze hauled in 92 receptions for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, when he was a key figure in Washington's run to the national championship game.

Odunze joins a Bears wide receiver corps that also features DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, the NFL's lone tandem to each surpass 1,200 receiving yards in the 2023 season. Chicago also signed running back D’Andre Swift and tight end Gerald Everett this offseason as it bolstered its supporting cast with the anticipation of selecting Williams with the No. 1 overall pick.

"We can do special things,” Odunze said.

After taking Williams, the Bears benefitted by three more teams selecting quarterbacks before the No. 9 pick. The Commanders drafted LSU's Jayden Daniels at No. 2, the Patriots picked North Carolina's Drake Maye at No. 3 and then the Falcons made the stunning move to select Washington's Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8.

Florida State pass rusher Jared Verse, Alabama pass rusher Dallas Turner, UCLA pass rusher Laiatu Latu, Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II and several offensive tackle were available for the Bears at No. 9, but they were drawn to adding Odunze as another playmaker for their offense.

“I don’t know where to start with that guy,” Poles said. “First of all, the human being, what a great guy. Work ethic, just blue-collar in the way he goes about things. But as a receiver, he can line up anywhere – inside, outside. You love his ability to finish in contested situations. He plays strong, plays big, run-after-catch is very good. He’s a punt returner as well. I mean, the kid put time in and he got better and better every single year.

“He’s a winner. He can impact the game at any point. If you’re a quarterback and you’re in doubt and you just want to give a guy an opportunity to go finish, he’s your guy. He’s done that consistently.”

Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 .