Mike Vrabel: Titans 'lucked out' with breakout player
Every NFL team is always looking for a diamond in the rough. Organizations have entire departments dedicated to scouting amateur talent with hopes of finding talented and valuable players that have slipped through the cracks. Obviously, it's not every day you come across one, let alone acquire one. It's even more rare to have one […]
Every NFL team is always looking for a diamond in the rough. Organizations have entire departments dedicated to scouting amateur talent with hopes of finding talented and valuable players that have slipped through the cracks.
Obviously, it's not every day you come across one, let alone acquire one. It's even more rare to have one fall in your lap on pure luck.
But that's exactly what happened to the Tennessee Titans with 26-year-old tight end Thomas Odukoya, who joined the organization as part of the International Player Pathway Program in 2022.
Raised in the Netherlands, Odukoya did not start playing football until age 16, but was named the Dutch National MVP in high school before playing his college football at Garden City Community College (JuCo), West Hills College-Coalinga (JuCo), and Eastern Michigan University (NCAA Division-I).
Following his college career, Odukoya was assigned to the Titans through the International Player Pathway Program and signed as an undrafted free agent following the 2022 NFL Draft.
Tennessee waived Odukoya on cut day last year, but added him to their practice squad with the international roster exemption.
At that time, Odukoya was not ready to play NFL football. But over the last 12 months, the dutchman has been one of the most improved players on the Titans' roster and made a case for a 53-man roster spot. Odukoya was an offseason award winner and has already shined as an inline blocker during the preseason.
I currently have Odukoya as TE4 on Tennessee's roster. That also means I have him making the 53 as the backup to blocking tight end Trevon Wesco.
Odukoya is strong as an ox and not afraid to play physical. That has a lot of value in Tennessee's offense. He has also demonstrated an exemplary work ethic and character since joining the organization.
As head coach Mike Vrabel put it earlier this week, the Titans absolutely lucked out with Odukoya.
"Well, we didn't bring him in, we lucked out. We absolutely lucked out because there is not a better human being," said Vrabel when asked about Odukoya in a press conference. "His hard work has paid off and that's been really cool to see. You like for good things to happen to great people."
With cut day looming on Tuesday, time will soon tell if all the offseason work will result in Odukoya making the team. But based on how highly the head coach speaks of him, I'm expecting to see a lot more of Odukoya in a Titans uniform.
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