Josh McDaniels and the New England Patriots love their 12 and 13-personnel. Two tight end sets have been a staple in New England since Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez operated as the team's in-line threats.
Back in 2021, the Patriots attempted to replicate that duo with Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith. Henry has been with the team ever since, while Smith was one of the worst signings in recent memory for New England: the $50 million tight end had 539 yards across two seasons before being traded to Atlanta for a seventh-round pick.
Mike Vrabel was Smith's coach in Tennessee, and after he left in free agency, he sought to replace him with another athletic seam threat: Maryland's Chig Okonkwo.
From his rookie season in 2022, Okonkwo has been a reliable threat at tight end. While far from a touchdown machine (8 in four years), he's never dipped under 450 yards and has had 52+ catches in each of the last three seasons.
Chig Okonkwo could be signed by the Patriots during 2026 free agency
The upcoming tight end class is free agency's strength this season. Aside from Okonkwo, Kyle Pitts, Dallas Goedert, Isaiah Likely, Travis Kelce, David Njoku, and Cade Otton all have expiring contracts. Cole Kmet and Dawson Knox have been popular names mentioned as cap casualties.
Vrabel's connection with Okonkwo, paired with the Patriots' affinity for two-tight-end sets, makes the former Terrapin a likely top target for the Patriots. ESPN's Matt Bowen agrees, with the 39th-ranked free agent's top fit considered to be New England.
A contract in the neighborhood of $9 million per season seems fair for Okonkwo. While it would nearly double Hooper's 2025 production, the Patriots would see more than double the production, in all likelihood.
Not only does signing Okonkwo make sense in terms of position and ties to Vrabel, but he'd also offer an athletic complement to Henry's more fundamental style of play. Henry will also be a free agent at the end of the 2026 season.
Henry and Okonkwo would make a lethal combination at tight end for a Patriots offense that has had such success with 13 personnel: they had the highest total EPA in the entire league in the formation.
If the Patriots want to improve their offense without breaking the bank, upgrading the TE2 slot via Okonkwo could be their best option.