Former Maryland TE Okonkwo Impressing Titans
- diggsreport
- Jun 20, 2022
- 2 min read
After being drafted by the Titans in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft, former Maryland tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo had a decent chance of seeing the field as a rookie. With how Okonkwo has been performing in minicamp, he has made a strong case for himself. This included a day in which Okonkwo caught three touchdowns, including one where he beat star safety Kevin Byard.
“It’s just awesome going against one of the best safeties every day in the league,” Okonkwo said. “It’s a great opportunity to go out there, you know, iron sharpens iron. Going against the best, trying to be as good as I can be. If you want to have success in the league, you have to have success against him.”
During his final season at Maryland, Okonwko caught 52 passes for 447 yards and five touchdowns. At the combine, he had the fastest 40-time by a tight end with a 4.52. Chig’s time was faster than first-round pick wide receiver and new teammate Treylon Burks.
Okonkwo’s play has even caught the eye of quarterback Ryan Tannehill. “Chig’s done a great job for us, he’s a fun guy to be around. He’s out here, he’s working hard like everybody else. Made some big strides this spring so I’m proud of him, proud of the way’s he’s come in, learned what to do, and will continue to push him on that”, said Tannehill during a press conference.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that Okonkwo fits well into Tennessee’s system as he was compared to former Titan Jonnu Smith. Even though he’s considered a smaller tight end, measuring in at 6-foot-3, 238 pounds, Okonkwo is a capable blocker to go along with being a dependable receiver, which is a good sign with Derrick Henry carrying the ball for the Titans as Treylon Burks looks to fill AJ Brown’s shoes.
The team lost Anthony Firsker to the Falcons while signing Austin Hooper to be the starter, meaning the only other tight ends to have any receptions in the NFL are Geoff Swain and Thomas Hudson. Swain hasn’t had reached 300 receiving yards in a season, while Hudson is a second-year pro with three career catches.
If Okonkwo can keep up his performances during training camp and in the preseason, he’ll carve a role for himself on the team as a rookie.
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