Tennessee Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo has a good amount of hype heading into the 2023 season.
The excitement surrounding the Maryland product is definitely warranted after Okonkwo not only led all rookie tight ends in a handful of categories, but was also among the most efficient players at his position.
According to Pro Football Focus, Okonkwo ranked in the top seven (out of 47 qualified) in the following categories:
- Receiving grade: 84.6 (No. 2)
- Yards per route run: 2.61 (No. 1)
- Yards per reception: 14 (No. 1)
- YAC per reception: 7.8 (tied for No. 2)
- Targets per route run: 26.2 percent (No. 2)
- Passer rating when targeted: 125.1 (No. 7)
Chigoziem Okonkwo pic.twitter.com/JSFfiTmKjX
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) June 7, 2023
That type of production is undoubtedly a large reason why Jim Wyman of Pro Football Focus recently named Okonkwo to his “All-Breakout Team”, stating the following about the young tight end’s selection:
Okonkwo was a relative unknown to the casual fan when he was selected with the 143rd pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He’s a bit undersized for the tight end position at 6-foot-3 and 238 pounds, but he’s a crazy athlete, as he ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash and recorded a 35.5-inch vertical. As the season went along, he managed to take over the starting TE role for the Titans and made some big plays down the stretch, earning 75.0-plus receiving grades in five of the last six games of the Titans’ season. While Tennessee faltered down the stretch, Okonkwo did not, and he’s primed for a breakout 2023 with an added workload.
The top breakout candidates at each offensive position in 2023 👀 pic.twitter.com/is42hgq9pz
— PFF (@PFF) June 12, 2023
It’s hard to argue with this selection in any sort of way.
Chig is one of those budding stars who undeniably passes the eye test when you watch him, while also passing the analytics and production aspect of his evaluation when you dive into his numbers.
All of this becomes even more impressive when you realize Okonkwo did that while playing with the combination of three different quarterbacks, an outdated scheme, and with his partner in crime, wideout Treylon Burks, missing almost half the season.
The sky truly is the limit for the Titans’ second-year tight end, barring an injury-riddled season to himself and/or the surrounding pieces on offense.
