Fantasy Upside
Chigoziem "Chig" Okonkwo entered the NFL as a fourth-round draft pick last year and started off slow, but showed real promise down the stretch as a receiving option for the Titans. Okonkwo logged 32 receptions for 450 yards and three touchdowns on only 46 targets, but showed great efficiency by leading all tight ends in yards per route run at 3.26. Okonkwo's 10.6% target share in 2022 is misleading due to being heavily skewed by his lack of playing time early in his rookie season. That number will almost certainly rise this year, even with the addition of Deandre Hopkins to the offense. Okonkwo will never see huge volume playing in the run-first Titans offense, but his combination of speed and receiving ability make him an interesting option to fill your TE slot without having to expend a high draft pick.
Fantasy Downside
As usual, the Tennessee offense will inevitably be built around workhorse RB Derrick Henry. The Titans finished 31st in plays per game in 2022 at 58.4 and ran the ball 28.6 times per game, good for 11th in the NFL. As an ancillary option in a run-heavy and slow-paced offense, Okonkwo will have to rely heavily on making big plays and scoring touchdowns to be a consistent fantasy option. This is especially true following the addition of Deandre Hopkins this offseason, a move that drops Okonkwo to Ryan Tannehill's third option in the passing game. Okonkwo has a lot of interesting physical tools working in his favor, but he will likely struggle to post consistent TE1 numbers without an injury somewhere else in the passing game due to his modest volume projections.
2023 Bottom Line
Okonkwo's current ADP has him being drafted right on the TE1 borderline in 12-team leagues, which seems like a fair valuation given the concerns surrounding his fantasy profile. Okonkwo demonstrated the ability to be an effective pass catcher in spurts last year with largely backup QB play, but he will have to make due with far fewer targets than the higher-tier players at the position. Okonkwo makes for an interesting gamble if you are committed to going cheap at TE to bolster other positions early in the draft.