Minnesota Vikings: Irv Smith, Jr., Tight End
It was the end of an era this offseason for the Minnesota Vikings when they said goodbye to Kyle Rudolph. Of course, tight ends don’t get the same type of send-off that quarterbacks do but Rudolph still deserves a lot of respect for what he did in Minnesota.
A second-round pick out of Notre Dame back in 2011, Rudolph played in 140 games in 10 seasons and had 435 receptions for 4,448 yards with 48 touchdowns. He wasn’t in the same tier as a player such as Travis Kelce or Zach Ertz but he was a model of consistency for a decade and did everything asked of him.
Now with the New York Giants, Minnesota will look to replace Rudolph by giving more time to former Alabama star Irv Smith, Jr. Entering his third NFL season, Smith is a more athletic player than Rudolph — and comes in with a smaller frame at 6-foot-2 and 242-pounds.
He’s able to use that athleticism to his advantage in the passing game and in two seasons has 66 receptions for 676 yards and seven touchdowns. He took a big step forward last year, increasing his touchdowns from two to five despite missing three games. He also went from 8.6 yards per catch as a rookie to 12.2 in year two.
Smith should be full unleashed this season and if he is, it wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see him top the numbers he has for his career in 2021 alone.