Tennessee Titans tight end, Chigoziem Okonkwo, has rightly received a ton of hype heading into his second year in the league.
Anybody who actually took the time to watch the Titans play last year saw just how scary good Okonkwo could be.
Despite being limited to a complementary role for most of his rookie season, it seemed like the Maryland product did something that made you say “wow” at least once per game.
Following a season in which he led all of the rookie tight ends in yards and touchdowns, while also being one of the most efficient players at his position in general, Chig’s confidence appears to be through the roof, even going as far as saying that he’s aiming for 100 catch season in 2023.
Chiggy Okonkwo among 47 qualified TE in 2022 (PFF)
PFF 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% (No. 2)
Passer rating when targeted: 125.1 (No. 7)— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) June 7, 2023
When you consider all of that, it’s easy to understand why Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report named Okonkwo as one of the five tight ends who are on the verge of a breakout campaign.
Okonkwo noticeably ended the year on a high note once it became obvious that he needed to be on the field more than Austin Hooper.
The rookie tight end accumulated at least four targets in six of the team’s final seven games, subsequently leading to a minimum of 40 receiving yards on four of those occasions.
Here is what Okonkwo recently said when he was asked about the possibility of him taking another major step forward in his development this year:
“Going into Year 2, I really feel like it’s going to be a huge year for me, a huge leap,” Okonkwo said. “I’m so confident going into it. I know what to expect. I know I can take my game to the highest level. Year 2 for me, I’m just really excited. All of the stuff I’ve been doing now. Building on the tools and my weaknesses, working on those, and refining them. I can’t wait to get on the field and show myself. I feel like I’m really under the radar. I feel like I’m one of the top tight ends in the league. I can’t wait to put that on display and show everybody.”
Only time will tell how Okonkwo’s sophomore season in the NFL turns out, but if he’s able to build on the success he had in 2022 now that he is taking on a bigger role, it’s hard to argue against the fact that Chig may universally be considered a top 10 to 15 tight end at worst by the end of the year.
