On its annual All-Rookie Team, the Pro Football Writers of America named two Tennessee Titans to the squad for their impressive showings in 2022.
The two Titans are none other than punter Ryan Stonehouse and tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo, two players who were bright spots in what was otherwise a dark season for Tennessee.
Not only did Stonehouse break the 82-year-old gross yards per punt record, he smashed it by 1.7 yards, finishing with 53.1 yards per attempt. For his efforts, Stonehouse was named a Second-Team All-Pro.
Okonkwo was very impressive in his own right. He led all rookie tight ends in receiving yards, and he was one of the more explosive players at his position in the NFL when the Titans actually gave him the ball.
Two #Titans rookies — TE Chig Okonkwo and P Ryan Stonehouse — earn spots on the @PFWAwriters all-rookie team: pic.twitter.com/U0suFA6Z8q
— John Glennon (@glennonsports) January 24, 2023
One of my favorite stats pertaining to Okonkwo was his yards per route run, which was on par with elite wide receivers like Justin Jefferson and Tyreek Hill. His 2.61 yards per route run ranked third in the NFL, and first among tight ends.
Most yards per route run in 2022, minimum 100 pass routes, regardless of postion
1. Tyreek Hill – 3.20
2. Justin Jefferson – 2.62
3. Chigoziem Okonkwo – 2.61— Nathan Jahnke (@PFF_NateJahnke) January 10, 2023
Just imagine what Chig would’ve done if it didn’t take former offensive coordinator Todd Downing an entire half of a season to realize he was actually on the team.
For next season, the Titans must get Chig more involved, but the Maryland product must also take a step forward as a blocker if he wants the most playing time possible. If all works out, he could be a star.
Meanwhile, if Stonehouse can improve on angling his punts and pinning opponents deep, there will be nothing stopping him from becoming an all-time great at his position.
