Bears OC Shane Waldron sees Odunze as ‘A-plus fit for us’

Odunze appeared in 40 games with 30 starts the past four seasons for the Huskies, catching 214 passes for 3,272 yards and 24 touchdowns.

Last year Odunze was named AP First-Team All-American and was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award which honors the nation’s top receiver after establishing career highs with 92 receptions, 1,640 yards and 13 TDs. His 1,640 yards led all FBS receivers and were the most in Washington history.

“The thing that flashed, just from a fan standpoint, when you’re watching games on Saturday at the hotel was just the consistent playmaker that he was,” Waldron said. “When [quarterback Michael] Penix was looking for a big play, [Odunze] seemed to be the guy that kept flashing there.”

During their pre-draft research, the Bears and Waldron discovered that Odunze was just as impressive as a person as he was an NFL prospect.

“We knew that he’s big and fast and a smooth receiver with the ability to make tough catches,” Waldron said. “But the cool thing I thought was when you start learning about the person and how dependable and reliable he was, that really sealed the deal as far as the evaluation process.

“And then I thought it was pretty cool post-draft just the amount of texts I received just about the person more than anything else. So when you’re building a culture and building it the right way, it was an A-plus fit for us.”