Tennessee Titans tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo enjoyed an impressive rookie campaign, leading to plenty of hype surrounding him last season.
After a quiet first half of the 2022 season, Chig really came on in the second, tallying 398 of his 450 yards over the final 10 games. And, in the process, he ripped off some highlight-reel plays, further showing Tennessee has something special in its young tight end.
While Okonkwo was no doubt pleased with his rookie season, he rightly notes it could have been even better had he not gotten off to a slow start, something that’s understandable for a rookie who also has to deal with Tennessee’s former offensive coordinator, Todd Downing.
“I definitely think it could have been better,” Okonkwo said, per Jim Wyatt of Titans Online. “I think it could have been way better if I just had the sense of myself that I had later on in the year. If I was able to play like that at the beginning of the year, I would have done a lot more.
“But that obviously comes with time, and reps, and getting it in.”
Looking ahead to 2023, Okonkwo is looking to improve his game to make an even bigger impact. The 2022 fourth-round pick also plans on being the leader in the tight ends room, which has several new faces.
“Not just relying on my speed all the time on routes, but being able to set guys up and break guys off, and being able to get open in shorter spaces,” Okonkwo said of what he’d like to do better.
“And I definitely see myself leading the tight end room. I see myself as being the guy to bring us all together for sure.”
