Tight end
The return of Irv Smith Jr. brought the usual offseason expectation. Sadly, it’s been a rough summer for the tight end, whose been dealt another injury blow that has the scope to prevent him from making an immediate impact in 2022.
Smith is now in the final year of his rookie deal. Although his talent is undeniable, staying healthy has been a major problem over the last two seasons and unless this changes, the Minnesota Vikings have a big decision to make regarding a longer-term commitment.
Minnesota will be hoping Smith gets back sooner rather than later. They opted to let Tyler Conklin walk for the New York Jets in free agency and there doesn’t appear to be all that much quality behind the former second-round selection on the depth chart.
There is hope that Smith can make it back for Week 1. If his recovery takes longer, then the Vikings will be relying on candidates such as Ben Ellefson, Johnny Mundt, Zach Davidson, and Nick Muse.
Not exactly a group with established NFL production under their belts.
The Vikings have enough dynamic playmakers on offense to compensate for Smith’s absence in this scenario. But that does not detract from the tight end group being an extremely weak link without the Alabama product.