Who Should I Start? Chig Okonkwo or Tyler Warren

Wednesday, July 9, 3:01 PM

Tennessee Titans Chig Okonkwo has flashed on occasion during his three-year NFL career, but tight ends often take time to develop, and Tennessee's offense has been well below league-average since the start of the 2022 campaign. The former fourth-round pick out of Maryland has tallied 138 receptions (193 targets) for 1,457 yards and six touchdowns in 51 career games. Heading into Year 4, Titans beat writer Jim Wyatt believes he is "poised" for his best season as a pro. He now has valuable experience, and he'll enter the year with momentum after finishing the 2024 season on a roll." Wyatt wrote. "Okonkwo finished the year third on the team with 52 catches for 479 yards and two scores. The Titans are counting on big things from Okonkwo after a solid offseason, when I charted him with a team-high 13 catches during the five open practices." While it's tough to get too excited about a mid-level tight end catching passes from a rookie quarterback, there is a low bar for Cam Ward to have the best season of any Tennessee signal callers since Okonkwo arrived in Nashville. At his TE26 cost in preseason fantasy drafts, he's worth a dart throw given the lack of target competition behind Calvin Ridley.

Tuesday, June 24, 2:27 PM

Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren is expected to be a major contributor in his rookie season, according to ESPN reporter Stephen Holder. While it could be assumed the Penn State product would have a major role as the team's No. 14 overall pick, it often takes time for tight ends to develop in the NFL, despite the recent successes of first-year tight ends Brock Bowers and Sam LaPorta. "It was practically impossible to watch an Indianapolis practice and not notice how often Warren touched the football. Any doubts about him having a notable role were erased in the first week of OTAs, when he could be seen running drag routes or matching up with linebackers in the middle of the field," Holder wrote. "The Colts had a league-low 39 receptions from their tight ends last season, but expect that to improve." While Warren's quarterback situation is less than ideal with either Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson throwing him passes in 2025, he could see heavy volume in the short or intermediate areas of the field. Based on his current ADP, he's available in the 11th round of 12-team leagues, so if you believe in his upside, he is not difficult to acquire.