Chig Okonkwo Camp Update — August 23: Daniels keeps finding him in practice

Chig Okonkwo was Jayden Daniels's most frequent connection in Wednesday's practice, per Commanders senior writer Zach Selby, who charted the two hooking up repeatedly in 11-on-11 periods, including a touchdown, and framed the day around the chemistry building between quarterback and tight end. That is a different kind of sentence than this file has produced all camp. A week ago the only role evidence in existence was Selby's own observation that the tight ends were barely used in the passing periods he watched; this week the same observer watched the ball go to Okonkwo again and again. One practice against one earlier observation — weight both lightly — but the direction reversed.

The game told us nothing by design. Okonkwo was not among the 15 players Washington held out in Detroit, per the team's announcement, but no receiving line for him surfaced in the coverage we accessed of the 17 to 13 loss, and the starting offense's entire night was a three-snap series. One room note worth logging: John Bates, the blocking tight end, returned to practice Tuesday from injury, per Dan Quinn via Bryan Manning at Commanders Wire, which restores the man who takes the blocking downs and, in theory, leaves the passing downs to Okonkwo.

Back in June our preview leaned skeptical on Okonkwo — four seasons of three to four targets a game is the stickiest usage band a tight end can carry, whatever Washington paid — with September target volume, not August praise, as the number that matters. A Wednesday of practice targets is not that number, but it is the first week of camp where the usage arrow pointed his way.

Watch next: whether the Daniels-to-Okonkwo connection shows up in Wednesday's joint practice against Baltimore's defense, and his usage in Friday's finale if the starters play. We'll check after cut day.

_Data via nflverse._