Okonkwo a Bright Spot on Offense

The rookie tight end's production, though, does not yet measure up to the expectations of head coach Mike Vrabel.

NASHVILLE – After three straight losses, Mike Vrabel did not have much interest in “atta boys.”

Not even for Chig Okonkwo, the rookie tight end who has become an increasingly important and productive member of the Tennessee Titans’ offense in recent weeks.

“The statistics probably cloud some of the overall play,” Vrabel, the fifth-year head coach, said Monday. “There were some mistakes that I felt like he made. There was some production which was good. There was some corrections that he made [like] the execution in the red zone.

“There were just some other things that didn't really help.”

The statistics actually paint an increasingly sunny picture of the fourth-round draft pick out of Maryland. In each of the last three games, Okonkwo either has tied or set a career-high for receptions in a game.

His six catches in Sunday’s 36-22 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars were the most by any Titans tight end this season. They included his second touchdown of the season, a 10-yard reception – in traffic – that gave his team a 14-7 lead late in the first quarter.

Through 13 games, Okonkwo is one of three rookie tight ends with more than 300 receiving yards (he has 320) and the only one with at least five receptions who averages better than 15 yards per catch. His 21 receptions are fifth among all rookie tight ends.

“I think as the games keep going on and I keep getting more reps and more experience, I just keep getting more comfortable and more confident with every rep and every game,” Okonkwo said. “I’m definitely appreciative that the coaching staff and [quarterback] Ryan [Tannehill] are putting trust in me and … dialing up plays for me to make plays.”

A rundown of the leading receivers among rookie tight ends (through Week 14):

Player, Team	Rec.	Yards	Avg.	TD
Cade Otten, Tampa Bay	36	337	9.4	2
Greg Dulcich, Denver	28	361	12.9	1
Daniel Bellinger, N.Y. Giants	24	195	8.1	2
Isaiah Likely, Baltimore	22	236	10.7	2
Chig Okonkwo, Tennessee	21	320	15.2	2

At 6-foot-3, 238 pounds, Okonkwo is the smallest of the Titans tight ends. Yet he is difficult to bring down. More than half of his receiving yards (169 of them) have come after the catch, and there have been several instances in which it took more than two players from the opposing defense to get him to the ground.

“Just fight,” he said. “You have to have that willpower to keep going. I feel like I’ve always had that as a football player.”

While it has become increasingly common for Okonkwo to show up on the stat sheet, it is difficult to predict where he will line up on any given play.

To date, he has been in the traditional tight end spot at the end of the offensive line for 146 snaps on offense. He’s also played in the slot, lined up wide and at fullback for a combined 118 plays.

None of Tennessee’s other tight ends are nearly as versatile.

“When you look at what he has been able to accomplish with his opportunities over the course of the year, it seems like every time he gets an opportunity to touch the ball he is doing something with it.” Tannehill said. “I have a lot of confidence in him. His output in our offense is growing as is his play time. Those will go hand in hand and we'll keep just trying to progress him along as we move forward.”

Pro Football Focus has given Okonkwo an overall grade of 79.0 for the season, which is second on the Titans’ offense to running back Derrick Henry and is fifth among all NFL tight ends.

Vrabel, however, sees plenty of room for improvement.

“We're asking him to do a lot,” Vrabel said. “But it is just some of the other details that have to get cleaned up.”