Titans: PFF names emerging playmaker to exclusive list
The Tennessee Titans found a diamond in the rough in TE Chig Okonkwo last season. Drafted in the fourth round in the 2022 draft, the Maryland product showed flashes of his elite athleticism which made him a legitimate threat in an otherwise hapless Titans passing attack. The Titans failed to legitimately address their issues at […]
The Tennessee Titans found a diamond in the rough in TE Chig Okonkwo last season. Drafted in the fourth round in the 2022 draft, the Maryland product showed flashes of his elite athleticism which made him a legitimate threat in an otherwise hapless Titans passing attack.
The Titans failed to legitimately address their issues at the wide receiver position in the 2023 offseason, which leaves the door open for a breakout season from Okonkwo.
In his rookie season, Okonkwo compiled 32 receptions for 450 yards and three touchdowns. His remarkable 14.1 yards per catch stood out as Okonkwo recorded three receptions of at least 40 yards as a rookie.
Okonkwo’s early emergence didn’t only catch the eyes of Titans fans, but the national media appears to be paying attention as well. In fact, Pro Football Focus recently named Okonkwo to their 2023 All-Breakout Team as the only tight end to crack the list.
From PFF: 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.
Okonkwo’s skills don’t totally make up for the talent deficiency the Titans have at the wide receiver position, but it sure does offer offensive coordinator Tim Kelly some versatility. There aren’t many tight ends in the NFL who can move like Okonkwo, which makes life difficult on opposing linebackers attempting to stick with him down the field.
If Okonkwo is able to carry the momentum from last season into the beginning stages of 2023, he’ll make the fine folks at PFF look like geniuses. More importantly, he’ll provide Ryan Tannehill with a reliable option capable of doing serious damage at all three levels in the passing game.
Featured image via Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
