Commanders saw beyond Chig Okonkwo's biggest flaw and experts overlooked it

"The thing that kept me watching play after play with him is how aggressive he was in the run game. People say he can't block; an important part of run blocking is matchup. But when you're looking at the fundamentals of blocking, Chig's pretty good in these areas if you get him in a favorable matchup."

"The Commanders are unlikely to task Okonkwo with many blocking duties. Offensive coordinator David Blough has one of the league's best blocking tight ends in John Bates, who remains an integral part of the team's plans. Ben Sinnott has also flashed more as a blocker than a pass-catcher, which should enable Washington to flex their new signing almost anywhere along the line of scrimmage to exploit mismatches in the passing game."

Chig Okonkwo signed with the Washington Commanders to fill the tight end position vacated by Pro Bowl veteran Zach Ertz. While critics frequently cite his blocking as a weakness preventing him from being considered a complete package, former Washington tight end Logan Paulsen offers a different perspective after reviewing tape. Paulsen highlights Okonkwo's aggression and solid fundamentals in the run game, noting that blocking effectiveness depends heavily on matchups. The Commanders' offensive structure mitigates blocking concerns, as John Bates and Ben Sinnott handle primary blocking duties. This allows Okonkwo to focus on exploiting passing game mismatches while remaining capable when blocking is required.

Read at Riggo's Rag