Kyle Rudolph
Putting together one of his best seasons in the NFL statistically, Kyle Rudolph showed flashes of why he is one of the top paid tight ends in the league. However, his play does leave some things to be desired.
Blocking isn’t Rudolph’s strong suit. When it comes to a situation where the Vikings need a blocker, they typically call on Ellison or Morgan for those duties. But when looking for a pass catcher with a big radius, they call on ‘Rudy’.
Rudolph caught 83 of his 132 targeted passes during the 2016 season for a total of 840 yards and 7 touchdowns. While his yardage total was a career high and his touchdowns were the second most in a season of his career, his 62.9% catch percentage and some key drops linger, especially when combined with a relatively low amount of yards after catch of 4.3 yards.
Under contract through the 2019 season, Kyle Rudolph will be back with the Minnesota Vikings and should continue to be a key piece of the team’s offense, particularly on third down or near the end zone. If he can continue to improve with Sam Bradford at the helm, his true potential could be revealed.