One thing we’ve learned about the draft over the years is that certain players are always viewed differently depending on each team. One quarterback considered the best in the class could be seen as maybe the third best by another. Chicago Bears fans know the story by now. They were always taking Caleb Williams #1 overall. As for #9, GM Ryan Poles had his heart set on Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze. It ended up working out that way, but what people don’t know is what would’ve happened if it didn’t.
Had the New York Giants taken Odunze at #6, the Bears would’ve just gone with LSU receiver Malik Nabers, right? Nope. Bill Zimmerman of Windy City Gridiron dropped that little nugget. If Odunze wasn’t there, Poles would’ve gone in a totally different direction.
As for who the Bears may have had in mind, it was a former high school teammate of Williams: Penn State left tackle Olu Fashanu.
This continues to raise questions about Ryan Poles’ draft eye.
While Odunze has delivered a productive season for the Bears, Nabers is on the cusp of cracking 1,000 yards this season despite atrocious issues at quarterback in New York. Why wouldn’t the Bears GM consider him? It likely boils down to personality concerns. There were worries that Nabers had certain attitude problems from his time at LSU. He lacked maturity and could get flustered too easily. Odunze carried himself like an adult, worked hard relentlessly, and had plenty of talent.
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Ryan Poles’ unwillingness to take chances on guys with outlandish character traits might be a reason his drafts haven’t produced anything special. It would certainly have been interesting if Fashanu was the pick. He had a solid year with the Jets once moved to left tackle, allowing just 12 pressures in six games. Maybe the Bears’ offensive line would be in a better place right now.
So, the ball that went through Odunze’s hands in the end zone was Caleb and the other potential targets fault? I know of 3 crucial drops off the top of my head.
Why is anyone surprised at the sack count? Caleb’s MO in college was to hold the ball too long. He needs to figure that out. No line is going to be great if the QB doesn’t help them out. I would say at least 20 of those sacks, but probably many more were on Caleb. Does the line need to play better? Yes, but it is not all on them.
Odunze’s production has only been limited by the quarterback play and the number of other receiving options on the Bears roster. Nabers would’ve done no better and 1 OT is significantly less than we needed
LT Fashanu wanted to go to the Bears in the draft. He still does. Caleb, suggest the Bears trade Jones and a draft pick for your high school teammate to protect your blindside at either LT or LG. Remember you pounded the table for Odunze. Now get the best of both worlds.
…and Poles already had DJ Moore to check all those “attitude problems” and “immaturity” boxes…