Irv Smith

Smith is set to be the third starting tight end in the last three seasons for the Bengals after signing a one-year deal in March. Hayden Hurst had 52 catches for 414 yards and two touchdowns on 68 targets (13 games) while filling that role in 2022, after C.J. Uzomah caught 49 passes for 493 yards and five TDs on 63 targets in 2021. Smith could approach Hurst's handful of targets per game, though star quarterback Joe Burrow figures to prioritize wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd over his tight end. Staying on the field has been a challenge for Smith, who played 29 games his first two seasons with the Vikings but just eight games the past two years. A meniscus tear cost Smith the entire 2021 season, and he battled injuries to his thumb and ankle in 2022. His career highs in yardage and touchdowns came back in 2020, when the 2019 second-round pick had 365 yards and five TDs.

After scoring five touchdowns in a part-time role in 2020, Smith was expected to ascend to the top of Minnesota's tight end depth chart last season. He suffered a meniscus injury during preseason, however, that sidelined him for the rest of the year. In Smith's absence, Tyler Conklin caught 61 of 87 targets for 593 yards and three touchdowns, proving there's still room for a moderately successful pass-catching tight end in a Vikings offense with Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen on the outside and Dalvin Cook in the backfield. Notably, Conklin's 16 red- zone targets tied for eighth among tight ends. Conklin subsequently signed with the Jets, creating an opening for Smith to step in as the unquestioned starter - something that had been expected prior to his knee injury. Smith made it back for training camp, but he then injured his finger and required surgery in early August. The Vikings expect him back for Week 1, though it may not be a sure thing.

Between his strong finish last year and Kyle Rudolph's departure this offseason, Smith seemed well positioned for a Year 3 breakout in 2021. The Alabama product isn't an elite athlete in terms of workout stats, though a 4.63 40 and 32.5-inch vertical are nothing to scoff at, particularly for a guy who was 20 years old at the 2019 combine. Age is another selling point, as Smith turned 23 in August but already has 14 NFL starts and 1,157 offensive snaps to his name. That's especially impressive at tight end, where even top prospects often are eased into the league in part-time roles. Unfortunately, Smith's ascent to fantasy relevance will be delayed, with a meniscus injury in late August requiring surgery that's expected to be season-ending. The Vikings are left with Tyler Conklin, Chris Herndon and Brandon Dillon at tight end.

Rookie tight ends are supposed to drop passes, miss blocks, commit penalties and run poor routes. The Vikings are glad nobody sent the memo to Smith, a 2019 second-round pick who turned 21 a month before Week 1. The Alabama product stepped right in as the No. 2 TE behind Kyle Rudolph, averaging 38.3 snaps per game in an offense that used multiple tight ends on 55 percent of its plays (second highest rate in the league). Rudolph maintained his three-down role for most of the year and scored six touchdowns, but he also saw 77 snaps as a pass blocker, compared to only 21 for Smith. Rudolph finished with small advantages in routes (361 to 322), targets (48 to 47), catch rate (83.0 to 76.6), aDOT (6.5 to 5.8) and YAC average (4.9 to 4.1), with both tight ends serving as reliable but nonexplosive options for Kirk Cousins. The difference, of course, is that Smith is a young guy with 4.63 speed, while the 30-year-old Rudolph ran a 4.78 40 at his pro day nine years ago. By the end of last season, it was often Rudolph rather than Smith coming off the field on third downs. The trend figures to continue in 2020, and with rookie Justin Jefferson replacing Stefon Diggs at wide receiver, there's a nice opportunity for Smith to emerge as Option B or C in the Minnesota passing game.

Although Smith's Alabama resume didn't match up with O.J. Howard's, the Vikings thought highly enough of Smith to select him with the 50th overall selection. Smith gets marks for pedigree - his father was an NFL tight end in the 90s - and he was considered the best pass-catching tight end in the talent-rich SEC last year. Minnesota isn't expected to keep Kyle Rudolph much longer, it's just a matter of whether or not Rudolph is jettisoned before the 2019 season. It's a mistake to expect Smith to rip up the league right away, especially since he turns 21 right before the season, but he'll probably settle in as a Minnesota staple in the next couple of years. He has interesting upside.