Tennessee Titans rookie tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo has been one of the pleasant surprises of the 2022 season.
The Maryland product was selected in the fourth round last April in hopes of eventually replicating the type of success they once had with Jonnu Smith and Delanie Walker.
However, there probably weren’t many who envisioned that he would be replicating or even surpassing that this early in his career.
Okonkwo’s pass-catching and yards after contact abilities in particular are what makes him so special. He’s an explosive, big-bodied specimen who rarely goes down on first contact.
This often leads to big plays anytime he touches the ball, and the Titans’ tight end has averaged a minimum of 11 yards per reception in eight out of the 12 games he’s played in.
Okonkwo has also caught a pass of at least 23 yards in six of those games, as well as receptions north of 30 yards in four.
Also, according to Pro Football Focus, the former Terrapin tight end is on a rare trajectory to becoming the most efficient rookie tight end to enter the league since 2014 (H/T James Foster, AtoZ Sports Nashville).
Is Chig Okonkwo the best rookie TE of all time? Many people are saying yes pic.twitter.com/5g1FfHyH4i
— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) December 20, 2022
Yards per route run takes into account the number of snaps a player went into a pass pattern, providing a better indicator of production than yards per reception or even yards per target.
Okonkwo is currently averaging 2.63 yards per route run, topping Atlanta’s Kyle Pitts (2.02), who set the record last season — and the Titans rookie is doing so by a wide margin.
To add more context to how impressive that average is, only Tyreek Hill (3.47) and Justin Jefferson (2.77) are producing a higher average than Okonkwo’s 2.63-yard total.
Correct https://t.co/QF0Ga97ZpQ pic.twitter.com/8NvgcRKOSz
— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) December 20, 2022
Tennessee’s playmaking tight end also owns the second-highest receiving grade (84.3) amongst all rookie tight ends going back to 2014.
The Titans have to make their special talent more of a priority going forward and treat him like a featured weapon instead of just a complementary piece.
There’s no reason why this particular offense that desperately needs help in the passing attack can see this type of data and not do everything possible to take advantage of the rare skill set of a budding star.
Chig has only seen a total of 36 targets thrown his way this year, catching 25 of those (69 percent) for 374 yards and two touchdowns. In fact, Okonkwo is only 75 yards away from topping Jonnu Smith’s career-high of 448 back in 2020.
In conclusion, I’ll end this with one final statement: FEED CHIG!!
