The Commanders haven’t signed another star receiver. Jayden Daniels might have his new favorite target anyway.

ASHBURN, Va. — The first pass was just a little taste.

Quarterback Jayden Daniels dropped back in the red zone, seeing tight windows to his left and right, and quickly dumped the ball off to his tight end before the pass rush arrived. A modest gain. Nothing to write home about.

But a few plays later Daniels found the same tight end again. This time the 6-foot-3 target was out wide, matched up against a cornerback.

And, as Daniels began to realize how much of a weapon his new target could be, he decided to really push it. With heavy traffic over the middle of the field, he lined a 20-yard dart into double coverage. Safety on one side. Linebacker lurking. Sure enough, another completion.

By the end of day, Chig Okonkwo was the talk of the Commanders offense. Daniels couldn’t stop targeting him. Coaches and players couldn’t stop raving about him.

“I don’t know what his background was at Tennessee,” receiver Terry McLaurin said. “But he’s gonna get a lot of opportunities here.”

For as much as the wide receiver questions have hovered over Washington’s training camp, Okonkwo might be the Commanders’ solution to unlocking the passing game.

Line him up outside, his size gets him open. Match him up against a linebacker, and his speed does the trick. Having trouble in the red zone, he can act as a safety value.

Washington doesn’t have many proven options at wide receiver. But, when the tight end can catch like that, general manager Adam Peters thinks it might not matter.

“It’s almost like we have four receivers on the field [when he’s out there],” Peters said. “He provides a lot of versatility where he can line up and what he can do for us. And, when he gets the ball in his hands, then he’s pretty magical.”

Okonkwo has never been the focal point of an NFL offense. He was drafted by the Titans in the fourth round in 2022 and hovered around average production.

He caught 32 passes his first year and stayed around the 50-catch mark the next three years. He ranked 17th among tight ends in receiving yards and 28th in receiving touchdowns. On Pro Football Focus, he ranked 30th of 37 eligible tight ends.

In short, he was good but never great. And Tennessee moved on after his rookie deal expired.

But when he hit the free-agent market, Washington saw a role that clearly fit. It had just hired an offensive coordinator in David Blough who wanted to make the play-action game, and therefore the tight ends, a staple of the passing attack.

The Commanders also didn’t have a clear second receiving option after McLaurin. A versatile tight end had the potential to be Daniels’ favorite weapon.

So Peters put together a cutup of highlights, showing Okonkwo how they wanted to use him. Head coach Dan Quinn also held a meeting with the free agent, stressing how this could be his second chance. He listed all the ways Daniels could get him the ball.

“The long play-action passes,” Quinn said. “The over routes, pylon routes, things that were down the field. Even some crossing routes that are catch and run, he can use some of his speed. We just wanted to highlight, ‘Hey, this is what we think you can do.’”

Okonkwo seemed to agree. He signed a three-year, $27 million deal to return to the area where he starred in college. When he played at Maryland, that was the last time he was the featured receiver. He didn’t disappoint, finishing second on the team in touchdowns and tallying over 450 yards.

The Commanders are hoping the proximity to College Park will unlock similar production — if not more.

“This offense lets me play freely, maximize my abilities,” Okonkwo said. “That’s why I chose here. I can go out there and be that piece that causes mismatches against defenses with speed or size or smaller guys.”

As the first week of training camp wraps up, Okonkwo is doing just that. He caught passes over safeties and against linebackers. He’s become Daniels’ new favorite toy, a Swiss Army knife he can target in nearly any situation.

Washington hasn’t signed a star receiver to play with McLaurin. Stefon Diggs and Brandon Aiyuk, both linked to D.C., remain away from NFL training camps. It means Okonkwo’s role will only become more important as the season opener nears.

“He runs routes similar to a big receiver,” McLaurin said. “Jayden has done a great job over the last few years of finding our tight ends over the middle. We gotta have a guy like that. If you put him over the middle, he could get run after catch. I’m happy he’s on our team.”

After practice Saturday, Okonkwo spent a good amount of time signing autographs. A few people held out Maryland mini helmets as a nod to his former team. A dedicated section of die-hard fans tried to start a chant with his name. It didn’t quite catch on.

But if Okonkwo continues being a favorite for Daniels, he will soon be a household name for fans. Those chants will take hold. And the Commanders’ passing offense might be fine after all.