The Washington Commanders cleaned up in free agency, signing a dozen new additions to their roster with potentially more to come. Most of them are young, emerging pieces with high breakout potential.
Of all general manager Adam Peters' signings, one stands out in particular as a name who could become the star of the class. And it's not edge rusher Odafe Oweh, who was by far the most high-priced addition at $25 million per year.
It's tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo, who is finally in a situation that should be able to maximize his talents.
Commanders insider is expecting a breakout year from Chig Okonkwo in Washington
JP Finlay of NBC Sports and 106.7 The Fan loved Washington's decision to bring Okonkwo into the fold. The team insider claims the Maryland product could become one of the league's premier tight ends with Jayden Daniels leading the charge under center.
"I think he's done pretty well with really sub-par quarterback play in Tennessee, in offensive systems that have just been messy and sloppy. I think he has a real opportunity in Washington to emerge a 65-to-70 catch guy."
The Commanders signed Okonkwo on a three-year deal worth $30 million, which seems a bit pricey for a relatively unproven player. But by the time the contract expires, he could easily have well exceeded his market value.
As Finlay points out, Okonkwo has never played with a quarterback even remotely as talented as Daniels. The 2022 fourth-round pick is a physical force with a strong ability to create yards after the catch. His only problem throughout his career is that he hasn't gotten the ball enough, amassing only 2,017 receiving yards and eight touchdowns over his four seasons with the Titans.
That shouldn't be a problem in Washington, where Daniels loves to target his tight ends. For the past two years, Zach Ertz was his most reliable short-yardage option, and now he'll have a shiny new toy who is much faster and more athletic. Expect Okonkwo to be a go-to guy on third down.
The former Terrapins college star hasn't been a huge red zone target throughout his career, but that could change in David Blough's offense. Barring a Ben Sinnott breakout, he will have no competition in the pass-catching game from Washington's other tight ends. Okonkwo should also be on the field for the vast majority of the Commanders' offensive snaps.
Okonkwo will have every opportunity to become a Pro Bowl-caliber player on the Commanders. We'll see what he makes of it.