Rome Odunze has an ideal height for the WR position but seems lighter than his listed 215 lbs on ESPN (to be monitored during the combine measurements). For his size, he's a good athlete but lacks any elite athletic trait, whether it's speed, acceleration, quickness, or power. There were reports of a 4.34-second time on the 40-yard dash... In high school... You already know my opinion on that; running fast in a straight line on a track doesn't necessarily translate to playing fast on a football field, and it shows in his tapes. (Update: 4.45 at the Combine, far from the 4.34 reported earlier). Rome is a fluid athlete for his size, displaying good body control with decent footwork, although it lacks frequency and explosiveness.

Odunze doesn't have a diversified package of releases, which is very problematic because he struggles a lot against press coverage. Having more diversified releases with a more explosive footwork could already be a good foundation. Still against press coverage, his lack of strength is noticeable. He consistently gets two-hands jammed by cornerbacks, which creates a lot of problems for creating separation because, on top of that, he lacks quickness due to his long limbs. The combination of a limited variety in release techniques, lack of strength, and lack of quickness has made it very easy for PAC-12 cornerbacks to contain him.

The best of his game comes against Off-Man coverage and zone coverage. When he has space to build up speed and execute his plays, he is much more dangerous. Although he doesn't have a highly developed route tree and isn't the most precise route runner, what he does know, he executes well. Rome has good hip fluidity, allowing him to make sharp changes of direction on deep routes. He can create separation with double moves or head and shoulder fakes.His break-ins, such as on comeback routes, are well executed, although they lack sharpness (likely due to his size, but they're still fluid). However, on break-out routes, his lack of power and footwork is noticeable. He has a good IQ against zone coverage, but he still needs to work on his timing in routes and when and where to sit in his route to provide a viable option for his QB.

Odunze has very good ball skills. He possesses excellent tracking ability, a great eye-foot-hand coordination for his size, allowing him to adjust well to throws. He demonstrates good upper body flexibility and a large catch radius, enabling him to catch balls outside the numbers with ease. I would have liked to see more aggressiveness in contested catches, but his lack of power prevents him from asserting authority against certain cornerbacks. He's not a threat after the catch; his lack of creativity, vision, and speed make him less dangerous in yards after catch situations.

Odunze's run blocking is catastrophic on film; his lack of power, technique, and sometimes even effort are painfully evident. For a receiver of his size with long arms, it's quite disappointing.

Rome Odunze is an intriguing prospect due to his production over the last two seasons and his promising physical attributes. However, he is far too raw in terms of technique, in my opinion, to be considered a WR1 on Day 1 in the NFL. Having so little play strength and struggling against press coverage are problematic. I see him as a good WR2 who, in the right system, could be a significant asset. With significant development, he might potentially evolve into a WR1.
I evaluate Rome Odunze as a 2nd rounder.