LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Rome Odunze has the talent and drive of a top-10 NFL draft pick. His rookie stats didn’t show it, especially with his target share siphoned by veterans DJ Moore and Keenan Allen.

Last year’s No. 9 overall selection had potential for far better. It just had to be extracted. Part of that comes with hard work. Part of it would come from being more assertive.

That’s why Moore and Bears coaches challenged the young receiver to push harder for more.

“Coming off last year, he was battling himself,” Moore said. “Do we think (we were) good or do we want to be great? And now he’s taken that step to be great. He’s speaking up a lot more. Even breaking down huddles now. I’m loving that for him.”

Moore wouldn’t go into greater detail about the conversation or when it happened, but it was an important moment and part of Odunze’s larger effort to get physically bigger and be a tougher receiver in the pattern.

Moore’s advice and Odunze’s hard work are paying off, as we saw in Week 2. Odunze was a rare bright spot in a loss to Detroit, with seven catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns.

It wasn’t just the stat total. It was the content of his performance. Odunze made explosive plays and earned chunk yards after the catch. He secured tough receptions in traffic. He found a way to score in the red zone.

Moore’s message after that game was clear.

“Just gotta keep building on top of that,” Moore said. “This is Year 2 for him and he’s already started off like that. He can only can start from there and go up.”

Steady ascent. That’s the mission.

“That’s one of my goals, to leave my mark on this game and in the NFL and come out as one of the best,” Odunze said. “So, you know, I just had to take it up another notch. Not to say I wasn’t working hard my rookie year, but when you’re kind of in the midst of it as a rookie year — it’s a long year and all those different things. You’re kind of getting used to all different types of things.

“So, when I got used to that and understood what I needed to do to take it to the next level, that’s what I did.”

Odunze appreciates Moore’s mentorship, which continues in good times and bad.

“What tips do I give him? Keep having fun with it,” Moore said. “Never let a bad play go into the next play. After this past game, he felt like he had a good game, but he also kind of messed up some. You’ve gotta go from there, keep challenging him and just keep patting him on the back and let him grow on his own.”

Nahshon Wright fired up to face old team

There was no sense in hiding it. Cornerback Nahshon Wright had Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys circled on the calendar. Wright spent his first three NFL seasons in Dallas, after the Cowboys made him a third-round pick. The Cowboys traded him to Minnesota in 2024, where he spent a season before coming to Chicago for a reunion with former Dallas secondary coach and current Bears defensive backs coach Al Harris.

Wright will be heavily featured in this one, as an every-down starter with Jaylon Johnson out with a groin injury. He was in that role all camp and in Week 1, with Johnson rehabbing all summer.

He’s comfortable in that position and ready to play Dallas. The motivation, Wright says, will be sky high.

“This game means a lot,” Wright said. “Dallas was the first team to believe in me and give me an opportunity in the league. They were also the team that traded me. So, there’s that too. It’ll be fun.”

Practice notes

The Bears had a long, physical practice in pads on Wednesday, and they changed things up for Thursday’s session. They worked indoors despite sunny weather and played rock music and, during open portions of practice, did defensive rotations focused on taking the ball away.

It was the second strong session after head coach Ben Johnson said his team’s practice habits weren’t championship caliber. The team is clearly pushing to rebound well after a difficult Week 2 loss to Detroit.

Participation report

Slot cornerback Kyler Gordon and linebacker T.J. Edwards continue to miss time with hamstring injuries, making it unlikely that either player will participate in Sunday’s game.

Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (knee) was back at practice after missing Wednesday’s session, but he was still limited. Running back D’Andre Swift (quad) was limited for a second straight practice.

Here’s the full Bears participation report from Thursday: