What should the Minnesota Vikings do at tight end next season?

Why should Irv Smith Jr. retain the job?

We have not seen Smith in the role of a clear number one yet in Minnesota. His first two seasons were split with Kyle Rudolph but Smith made his plays when given the chance. In each of his first two seasons, Irv picked up over 300 yards in the passing game while showing steady improvement as a blocker.

In his sophomore season, Smith was on the receiving end of five touchdown passes and averaged over 12 yards per catch. Of his 30 catches that season, 22 went for first downs and five went for touchdowns. Only three of his receptions failed to result in a new set of downs or a scores and that’s something that should be noted.

Irv is a vertical spacer in the passing game with strong hands, athleticism, and enough size to make an impact as a blocker. He has the speed to beat linebackers and the size to box out safeties but his injuries have held him back far too often.

With just 14 starts through three seasons, there is still so much untapped potential in Irv Smith Jr. The Vikings have an incredible passing game regardless of who is at tight end but adding Smith back into the mix would open things up down the field. His ability to be a middle-of-the-field target can open a lot up for Justin Jefferson.

Irv is still on his rookie contract but a huge year in 2022 could result in a nice payday for him. However, the track record suggests that he will have to sign a cheaper deal than we all thought heading into last season after he has recorded just 676 yards over three seasons.

If one player on this team needs to prove himself, it’s Irv Smith Jr. He had all of the expectations in the world after being a second-round selection but he has never seen the impact of a starting tight end at this level. That should scare some fans away, which is understandable, but it still makes sense to gamble on his upside during his rookie deal.