Our next training camp preview for the Tennessee Titans comes at tight end, a position that holds one of the team’s most promising young players, Chigoziem Okonkwo.
In a sea of disaster on offense in 2022, Chig was one of the few life rafts the team could cling to. Okonkwo finished the campaign with 450 yards, leading all rookie tight ends, and he tallied three scores while also proving to be one of the most explosive players at his position in the entire NFL.
Making Chig’s final numbers more impressive was the fact that former offensive coordinator Todd Downing seemed to not know his talented young tight end existed over much of the first half of the season, with Okonkwo being targeted just eight times over the first seven games.
If new offensive coordinator Tim Kelly wants to get in the good graces of Titans fans quickly, he has to do one simple thing: FEED CHIG!
While the spotlight is on Chig, who is expected to be a vital piece to the offense, other tight ends do exist in Nashville, one of which was a 2023 draft pick.
Here’s a look at the roster locks, players on the bubble, the competitions set to take place and a prediction for how things will shake out at tight end.
Roster locks
Roster locks: Chigoziem Okonkwo, Trevon Wesco, Josh Whyle
Whyle was a 2023 fifth-round pick and figures to be no worse than the No. 3 tight end, assuming he can show he’s capable. How many snaps he sees will depend upon what he shows as a blocker, as he’s already expected to be a plus pass-catcher.
Wesco, who was signed in free agency, wouldn’t typically be viewed as a lock on most teams, but the Titans need a tight end who specializes as a blocker, a role the team covets in a run-heavy approach.
Wesco provides that and could also serve as a fullback. His weakness, though, is as a pass-catcher, which could limit his snaps and lead to Whyle seeing more if he can prove to be an effective two-way tight end.
On the bubble
On the bubble: Kevin Rader, Thomas Odukoya, Alize Mack
Rader and Odukoya enter their second season in Nashville, but only Rader saw snaps with the team in 2022, appearing in 14 games (two starts) while playing predominantly on special teams and as a blocker.
Odukoya spent last season on the practice squad and did not count toward the limit as part of the NFL’s International Pathway program. However, that exemption will end when final cuts roll around on August 29.
Mack is a former 2019 seventh-round pick of the Saints who has never played a snap in the NFL. He is, by far, the biggest longshot of the group, whether it’s for a spot on the roster or the practice squad.
The competitions
The battle for No. 2
Chig is far and away the No. 1 tight end of this group, but how things shake out behind him remains to be seen. Battling for the second spot is Wesco and Whyle, two very different players.
Whyle was a wide receiver in high school and hi strength comes from his ability as a pass-catcher, but the jury is still very much out on how he’ll perform as a blocker, an area he believes he’s improved at.
Whyle is the more ideal No. 2 here because he figures to be a threat to catch the football. As a result, the rookie gives defenses one more thing to consider when he’s on the field defenses, something Wesco does not, which makes Tennessee’s offense a bit more predictable.
The battle for No. 4 or a practice squad spot
The Titans carried three tight ends into last season, so there may not be a roster spot to battle for here, which would mean this is really a competition for a practice squad spot.
Rader is immediately the favorite for either, as neither Odukoya nor Mack have ever played a single snap in the NFL. That said, it’s not like Rader is some special talent who is locked-in, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Odukoya or Mack kept over him.
53-man prediction
53-man prediction: Chig Okonkwo (TE1), Trevon Wesco (TE2), Josh Whyle (TE3)
I think it’s very possible the Titans keep a fourth, but that will depend upon how often they plan on moving Chig around the formation as opposed to using him as a traditional in-line tight end.
For now, I’m rolling with three, with the pecking order being exactly how I listed it above. Wesco will see more snaps than Whyle, at least to start, but it’s very possible the rookie shows enough to surpass him during the season.
As far as the rest of the tight ends are concerned, I think the practice squad spot will go to either Rader or Odukoya, but I think the Titans go with the upside in the younger player and give it to the latter.
