Best 2021 NFL breakout candidate from every team

By Randy Gurzi | Jun 28, 2021

ASHBURN, VA - JUNE 02: Ryan Fitzpatrick #14 of the Washington Football Team hands the ball off to Antonio Gibson #24 of the Washington Football Team during the organized team activity at Inova Sports Performance Center on June 2, 2021 in Ashburn, Virginia. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

21 of 32

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – NOVEMBER 08: Irv Smith Jr. #84 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates scoring a touchdown in the first quarter against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium on November 08, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images) /

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.

Home/NFL