The Tennessee Titans began mandatory minicamp on Tuesday and, according to beat writers on the ground, 2022 fourth-round pick and tight end, Chigoziem Okonkwo, was the biggest standout.
Okonkwo reeled in three touchdown receptions during seven-on-seven drills, according to The Tennessean’s Ben Arthur. Per AtoZ Sports Nashville, he caught two from Ryan Tannehill and one from Logan Woodside. One of Okonkwo’s touchdown catches were against safety Kevin Byard.
Here’s more on the Maryland product’s plays, per ESPN’s Turron Davenport.
“[Ryan] Tannehill hit Chig Okonkwo in the corner of the end zone for a TD. Okonkwo ran it down and hauled it in,” Davenport wrote. “Logan Woodside hit Okonkwo also. Well placed pass on the seam route.”
After practice, Okonkwo talked about his big day and the opportunity to go up against one of the best safeties in the NFL in practice everyday.
“It’s just awesome going against one of the best safeties in the league everyday, so this is a great opportunity to go out there — you know, just iron sharpens iron — going against the best, trying to become as good as I can be,” Okonkwo said, via Jim Wyatt of Titans Online. “If I want to have success in the league I ought to have success against him in practice, so that was really cool to be able to run that route on him and win it.”
A look at #Titans fourth-round rookie TE Chig Okonkwo, who was the biggest standout on Day 1 of mandatory minicamp: pic.twitter.com/Y19OEsBmyO
— Ben Arthur (@benyarthur) June 14, 2022
As far as his progression is concerned, Okonkwo feels like he’s made “a ton” since the offseason program began.
“I think I’ve progressed a ton, especially when it comes to the other things, the not-physical part of the game where you’ve got to learn, you’ve got to think, you’ve got to see fronts, you’ve got to be able to know the play because there’s different conversions on certain plays against certain coverages,” Okonkwo explained. “Definitely in that aspect I think I’ve grown a ton since I’ve been here.”
If Okonkwo can keep stacking good days like the one he had today, he might see a bigger role than initially expected in his first season.
