6 former Vikings struggling with their new teams in 2023

Former Vikings player No. 6

Irv Smith Jr., tight end - Cincinnati Bengals

Fans of the Minnesota Vikings are probably still tired of hearing about the offensive potential that Irv Smith Jr. could bring to an offense. A combination of inability to stay healthy and ineffectiveness when available prompted them to trade for former Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson.

Playing four seasons in Minnesota, Smith saw action in 37 games and started 15 of those. In that time, he caught a total of 91 passes for 858 yards and nine touchdowns. That's not quite what the Vikings were hoping for when they took him with their second-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

He's not off to a great start with the Cincinnati Bengals either. After only playing two of their first four games, Smith has taken 76 snaps on offense where he has caught five passes for 27 yards on his one-year deal worth $1.75 million.

It has yet to be seen if Irv Smith Jr. will ever live up to the potential that made him a second-round draft pick, but the young tight end should be hungry to prove that he can be a bigger contributor than he has been since entering the NFL.