The Tennessee Titans selected Maryland tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo with the 143rd overall pick in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft on Saturday.
Okonkwo is the first Terps tight end to be drafted since Dan Gronkowski, who was selected by the Denver Broncos in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL draft.
The 6-3, 238-pound Okonkwo, Gronkowski and two-time Pro Bowl selection and Super Bowl champion Vernon Davis are the only Maryland tight ends to be drafted since 2006. Davis played three years for the Terps before becoming the sixth overall pick and played 15 seasons in the league.
After Maryland football’s spring game Saturday, redshirt junior quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa’s jaw dropped when he found out Okonkwo was drafted. Tagovailoa couldn’t contain his excitement for his former teammate, but strongly believes Okonkwo should’ve went higher, saying “that’s the best tight end.”
“I know he’s going to do great things,” Tagovailoa added. “I feel like [the Titans] use their tight ends a lot so he’ll be in a good position to really showcase what he can do in the league.”
As college football grappled with the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Okonkwo missed the season because of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle. He returned this past season, becoming one of junior quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa’s go-to targets after receivers Dontay Demus Jr. and Jeshaun Jones went down with season-ending injuries.
In March, Okonkwo made a name for himself at the NFL scouting combine, running the fastest 40-yard dash among his position group. Okonkwo’s time of 4.52 seconds ranked in the 94th percentile among tight ends since 2011.
During the 2021 season, Okonkwo caught 52 passes for 447 yards and a team-best five touchdowns while showcasing his versatility as a pass catcher and blocker.
“I can play every role,” he said during Maryland’s Pro Day. “I can play out wide, the slot, the backfield. I can cause mismatches, and I can block.”
Big Ten Network analyst Matt Millen, a former Penn State defensive lineman and general manager for the Detroit Lions, said Okonkwo has potential but a team must be willing to take time for his talent to develop.
“If somebody drafts him, they’re going to have to be a little patient with him, but I think he has something to work with,” Millen said last month.
Okonkwo is the second Maryland player to be selected in the 2022 draft. Terps junior safety Nick Cross was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round at No. 96 overall.
Maryland coach Mike Locksley said it’s rewarding to see Cross and Okonkwo complete a lifelong dream while helping out their families.
“It’s a culmination of a lot of hard work, but it shows the other people coming up through this program that if you do things the right way, you have a chance to reach every goal you set for yourself,” Locksley said.
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