May 23, 2026, 12:20 PM ET

Washington Commanders tight end Chig Okonkwo arrives in the nation's capital with a three-year, $27 million contract and the promise of the most competent quarterback play of his young career. Since coming into the league in 2022 as a fourth-round pick of the Tennessee Titans, Okonkwo has never been part of an offense with a quarterback throwing for more than 3,200 yards or 15 touchdowns. Even while setting career highs and leading the Titans in receptions and yards in 2025, that only amounted to 560 yards on 56 catches, as Tennessee's 191 passing yards per game ranked 29th in the league. While injuries derailed his sophomore campaign, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels threw for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns as 2024's Offensive Rookie of the Year, supporting a then 33-year-old Zach Ertz to a TE8 half-PPR finish. Washington spent a third-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft on Clemson slot receiver Antonio Williams and added third-down running back Rachaad White to an imbalanced group of pass catchers behind two-time Pro Bowler Terry McLaurin. Even with McLaurin missing seven games in 2025, his 38 receptions still top the list of returning players, with running back Jeremy McNichols and 2025 fourth-round pick Jaylin Lane slotting in at a respective second and third with 41 combined catches. Ertz is no longer with the team, presenting Okonkwo with the opportunity to step right in as the second option in a David Blough passing attack sure to borrow elements from the heavy under-center, play-action offenses of Ben Johnson and Kevin O'Connell. At RotoBaller's TE22, Okonkwo is regularly falling to the final rounds of 2026 drafts, if selected at all, but he represents a high-upside bargain for managers opting not to spend up at the position, and could realistically crack the top 10 if Daniels plays anything close to a full 17-game slate.--Patrick McGrath