From the start of the 2024 NFL Draft process, Marvin Harrison Jr. has been widely considered the top wide receiver prospect in a loaded class.
However, one contender from this talented position group has emerged as a real threat to be the first WR selected on draft day with a standout performance at the NFL Combine.
His name is Rome Odunze, but was his performance in Indianapolis enough to convince NFL personnel evaluators to bypass Harrison in favor of the Washington product come April?
Will Rome Odunze Be Drafted Ahead of Marvin Harrison Jr.?
NFL Draft coverage has grown leaps and bounds over the last 25 years, which can make it very difficult to decipher through the overwhelming amount of content to determine which narratives hold weight and which are simply smoke screens.
For those of you who have been heavily invested in monitoring the fluid stock market for the top prospects of this class, Harrison has been quite close to being considered the consensus top wide receiver available in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Well, after Harrison elected not to take the field at the NFL Combine and Odunze was a standout performer at Lucas Oil Stadium, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic mentioned in a recent article an interesting takeaway from some NFL personnel people about the intrigue surrounding Odunze in comparison to Harrison.
“I don’t believe Rome Odunze will get picked before Marvin Harrison Jr., but it sounded like some NFL personnel people are more intrigued by the Washington star than Harrison,” wrote Feldman.
“The 6-3, 212-pound Odunze has elite ball skills, and people I spoke to about the receivers were effusive in how they talked about his makeup and competitiveness.”
Feldman concluded his thoughts with some clarification by saying, “I still am sold on the Buckeyes’ All-American, but after listening to NFL people talk about Odunze, I might change my opinion to say he’s the closest thing to a can’t-miss project.”
Let’s start here. Both players deserve the cascade of praise they’ve received from the start of the draft process. They displayed dominance, exceptional athleticism, and high-level nuance, which should lead to them being instant contributors at the next level.
However, one word that stood out to me from Feldman’s piece when describing the intrigue surrounding Odunze was competitiveness.
The former Washington Husky could’ve taken the approach both Harrison and Mailk Nabers did with the Combine and elected to forego running or taking part in drills. His decision to go out and compete speaks to that very trait mentioned by Feldman.
That doesn’t mean Harrison won’t snatch the soul of defensive backs who present him with a dogfight on Sundays, but Odunze’s decision to take the field and compete with his peers in Indianapolis was enough to start a WR1 overall conversation for some NFL personnel folks.
As for us over here at PFN, we still have Harrison as the top WR prospect in this class, while Odunze ranks third behind Nabers.
In a recent NFL Mock Draft from our NFL Insider Adam Caplan, Harrison was the first receiver off the board at No. 4 overall to the Arizona Cardinals. Meanwhile, Odunze went to the Chicago Bears five picks later at No. 9 overall.
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There is no doubt Odunze firmly solidified his draft stock as a potential top-10 pick in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft with his performance at the Combine. However, it would still be considered a rather big surprise if he’s the first wide receiver off the board when draft night comes around.
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