The Minnesota Vikings got dealt a rough blow at the end of the win over the Arizona Cardinals 34-26 on Sunday when Irv Smith Jr. injured his ankle on the final offensive possession of the game.
With word that he likely has a high ankle sprain, that means he could be out for upwards of six weeks.
With that in mind, the Vikings will need to look outside the organization for depth at tight end because Ben Ellefson is on injured reserve. Here are seven tight ends the Vikings could target at the trade deadline and in free agency.
Ross Dwelley
The 49ers tight end has been used in a backup role for his entire career but has played a big role in the blocking game. The transition to the Vikings scheme would be relatively easy since they run a lot of the same concepts and would be an inexpensive addition. On the season, he has three catches for 105 yards and a touchdown.
Albert Okwuegbunam
One of the more popular targets on the trade market, Okwuegbunam is an excellent pass catcher who has tremendous straight-line speed for a tight end. This season, he has fallen out of favor with the Broncos due to his sub-par blocking and the emergence of rookie Greg Dulcich. This season, he has seven receptions for 51 yards.
Eric Ebron
A former top-10 pick of the Detroit Lions back in 2014, Ebron has never been able to be consistent in the receiving game. His drops have been his biggest issue and they are the main reason why he is available in free agency. With his size and speed profile, he might be worth a look. In his career, Ebron has 351 catches for 3,387 yards and 33 touchdowns.
Nick Vannett
Vannett has played for five teams over the course of his career and has shown some flashes when given an opportunity to be a pass catcher. In his career, Vannett has 86 catches for 832 yards and six touchdowns. With the Saints being 3-5, the Vikings might be able to convince them to trade Vannett for a late day-three pick.
Mike Gesicki
Gesicki is an interesting one for the Vikings. He isn’t a fit for what the Dolphins are doing with the wide zone scheme and head coach Mike McDaniel isn’t using him much at all. With Mundt there to be your blocker, Gesicki could threaten down the seams and give the Vikings another weapon. There are two issues with this move: he is on the franchise tag and would cost a day-two pick. The Vikings haven’t been willing to make a move for a rental and they shouldn’t. With nobody being able to negotiate with Gesicki until after the season, this is the least likely scenario.
Kyle Rudolph
This would be an interesting one for the Vikings, as they drafted Rudolph in the second round in the 2011 draft. He has spent time with the Buccaneers this season but hasn’t gotten much playing time. In the trade market, he would be very cheap and provide a stalwart veteran option that would be somewhat familiar with the scheme. There is the matter of his perceived dislike of Kirk Cousins, but a 6-1 record while trending upward might be enough to squash any beef.
T.J. Hockenson
This would fit into the motif of what Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has been doing over his short tenure with the Minnesota Vikings. Collect talented players with team control. Hockenson has team control past this year, but it is expensive at the fifth-year option price of $9.392 million. He is a talented receiver along with being a great pass blocker and arguably significantly better than Smith Jr. at both.
Would it be worth a third-round pick or potentially more? Hard to say. Tight end is a position that usually doesn’t fully develop until the end of their rookie deals and there is a saying that you are drafting a tight end for their next team. This could lead Adofo-Mensah to trade for one instead of drafting one high in the draft.
