The Vikings released Kyle Rudolph this offseason in what seemed like an obvious move. Minnesota needed cap space at the time and based on what Rudolph said publicly, a restructure didn’t seem in the cards.
There was also another obvious reason for Rudolph’s departure: Irv Smith Jr. has been promising. Now, Smith Jr. has a chance to take the tight end one reigns.
Bleacher Report tabbed Smith Jr. as Minnesota’s potential breakout candidate. Here’s what Gary Davenport of B/R wrote about Smith Jr.:
“Smith may not have a ton of catches, but he has taken advantage of the targets he’s received. He has hauled in over 73 percent of his targets, and per Noah Cierzan of Zone Coverage the second-round pick out of Alabama has recorded a rating of 134.4 on passes he was targeted on. The 6’2″, 235-pounder has dropped all of two passes in two years.”
Minnesota needs to make sure its offense doesn’t fall off after a good 2020. The Vikings need players like Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen to produce on the level they did this past season. They also need players like Smith Jr. to progress, in order to take on a bigger role and help the offense remain high-octane.
