Steelers Wish-List Wednesday: WR Rome Odunze

The Pittsburgh Steelers have some tough decisions to make at multiple positions of need this offseason. After the NFL Combine, a report that may have surprised Steelers Nation came up. A potential Steelers trade-up for Washington WR Rome Odunze. Many fans might have been confused because receiver is not the biggest need on the team. But let’s sit down and have a conversation.

First, let’s talk about the athlete. At the combine, Odunze showed why he's ranked so highly. He’s 6’3”, weighs 212 pounds, has 32 ¼” arms, and his hands measure out 9 ¼”. He ran a 4.45-second 40-yard dash and a 1.52-second 10-yard split. He jumped a 39” vertical and a 10’ 4” broad jump. He ran the 3-cone in 6.88 seconds and the 20-yard Shuttle in 4.03 seconds. To put it in the simplest terms, he’s a freak athlete.

Next, let's talk about the stats and awards. This past season, Odunze had 92 catches for 1640 yards. That’s averaging 17.8 yards per reception. Add thirteen touchdowns to that and you can see why it’s not a bad move for Pittsburgh to trade up. He was a Consensus All-American in 2023 and a two-time first-team All-Pac-12 (2022,2023). He also was the best player for the 2023 National Championship runner-up, Washington Huskies.

Finally, let's talk about the character. Odunze was a team captain for the Washington Huskies. And it’s not hard to see why. In a clip I saw on X AFTER the combine, Odunze stayed and continued to put work in. He had a target for his 3-Cone Shuttle and kept going at it. The reporter said he did it five times, and again, this is after the combine. Someone who has that work ethic and drive belongs in the black and gold.

In my opinion, it’s a no-brainer the Steelers should trade up if the opportunity presents itself. I’m not saying that it fits their biggest needs, but sometimes you need the talent more than you need to fill a position of need. And the possibility of George Pickens, Diontae Johnson, and Odunze would be out of this world—potentially three 1,000-yard receivers. The character and the talent Odunze had should make Omar Khan want to potentially surprise the world.