Green Bay Packers: Stacking up the tight ends in the NFC North
2. Minnesota Vikings
Leading up to the 2012 NFL Draft, scores of media members took it upon themselves to declare Notre Dame’s Kyle Rudolph as the next Rob Gronkowski…and with good reason.
Outside of having similar physical dimensions at 6-foot-6 with 34-inch arms and an impressive set of 10 3/4″ mitts, Rudolph was on the receiving end of several big plays while dominating inferior opponents as a collegian in South Bend.
Five years later, it’s safe to say that Rudolph hasn’t come close to developing into the next Gronk when you factor in that No. 82 isn’t as athletic as his Patriot counterpart and isn’t known to generate much separation in his routes.
In addition, the Vikings leading receiver in 2016 isn’t nearly the blocker Gronkowski is, particularly on running plays. Pro Football Focus (PFF) went as far as ranking Rudolph 54th among league tight ends in that area.
But what makes the imposing safety valve a top-10 tight end in the league are his receiving skills. In fact, while PFF condemns him as a blocker, the site places him 8th when rating his ability as a pass-catching target.
Rudolph can flat out dominate opponents with his box-out technique resulting from a combination of his size, strength and ability to stay on his feet.
His body control also makes him a go-to weapon on sideline routes and passes along the back of the end zone.
The Vikings have a lot of inexperienced youth behind Rudolph, including the 265-pound David Morgan. He is currently the most logical choice to replace last year’s TE2 Rhett Ellison, who recently signed with the New York Giants.
The second-year man is a skilled blocker that can capably use both his hands and feet to redirect the opposition. Lining up in the backfield is one of his major areas of strength.
Receiving-wise, Morgan isn’t exactly light on his feet, but will generally come down with balls thrown in his area code.
Rookie Bucky Hodges like a big receiver that can work the middle and come down with over-the-shoulder grabs downfield.
The 5th-round pick’s challenge is adjusting to the fact that he will need to get open with skill rather relying solely on size and speed if he hopes to carve out a long and prosperous career in the NFL.
Minnesota also signed Arena League star Nick Truesdell, who has spent the better part of the past four years converting from college receiver to pro tight end. The 27-year-old has increased his weight by 20 pounds, but the extra girth hasn’t affected his agility.
The 6-foot-6 project possesses 4.47 speed and chose to become a Viking despite receiving eight other contract offers.
German-import Mortitz Bohringer is presently listed as a wide receiver, but one has to wonder if tight end may be his best position considering his size and his low standing on the wideout depth chart.
Grade: B+