3 prospects the Bengals should target outside of Day 1 in 2022 NFL Draft
3. Chigoziem Okonkwo
Tight end is widely considered one of the weakest positions on this Bengals roster and it’s almost guaranteed that the stripes will select one in this year’s NFL Draft. Why not select the fastest prospect at the position?
Chigoziem Okonkwo just outdid his first attempt in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine by running a 4.52 on his second attempt.
— Lauren Rosh (@lauren_rosh) March 3, 2022
The Terp's first attempt (4.54) was the fastest time by a tight end and he just beat that by .02 seconds.pic.twitter.com/8vogPvsyoJ
Okonkwo is a tad undersized at 6’2″ but can avoid problems with his speed. The Bengals have their starter (Hayden Hurst), they have their blocking specialist (Drew Sample), but now they need a receiving specialist to plug into different packages when they please.
His stats won’t jump off their page, but there is a trend within them. Okonkwo’s best statistical games were against three of the best teams in the Big Ten last season: Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan State. It appears as if he plays up to his competition, which is a quality that fans should be excited about.
When watching tape on Okonkwo, many of his highlights come when he gets the ball in his hands near the line of scrimmage. Whether on jet-sweeps or screens, he is a big play waiting to happen. Big-play ability is a rarity in the NFL; if the Bengals have the opportunity to take him on Day 3, this should be a no-brainer.
Target round: Round 6