Keenan Allen is widely considered one of the best wide receivers of his era, and rightfully so. Allen's 904 catches are the third-most in the NFL since he made his debut back in 2013, and that's despite the fact that he has missed 40 games -- or approximately 2.5 seasons -- due to injury during that span.
Allen was a third-round pick of the then-San Diego Chargers back then, and he immediately became a force, recording 71 catches for 1,046 yards and 8 scores during his first year in the league. These days, Allen is a seasoned veteran, and he's with a new team (the Chicago Bears) for the first time.
Getting traded to Chicago also means he has a new teammate in another former collegiate star at wide receiver in Rome Odunze, who racked up 75 catches for 1,145 yards and 7 scores as a redshirt sophomore, then followed it up with 92 grabs for 1,640 yards and 13 scores last year. And Allen thinks Odunze is further along than Allen himself was when he entered the league.
"He's a little bit better than me when I came in," Allen said. "He's faster. I think he comes out of his breaks better than I did when I was that young. He looks more polished than I was as a receiver."
Keenan Allen just said Rome Odunze is better than he was when he came into the League.
— Sadeek 🪐 (@SadeekNextWave) July 20, 2024
faster, gets out of his breaks better pic.twitter.com/m4dcr2MJFm
Odunze and Allen will team with D.J. Moore to form what is expected to be one of the league's best receiver trios, who should help No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams make a smoother transition to the NFL than most previous No. 1 picks. And if Allen can maintain his level of play, Odunze can hit the ground running, and Moore can remain a No. 1-caliber receiver, the Bears should be one of the NFL's most improved offenses.
