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Minnesota Vikings impressed by surprising part of former Alabama TE Irv Smith Jr.’s game
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Irv Smith Jr. was an outstanding tight end during his time at Alabama. In 2018, he recorded 44 catches for 710 yards and 7 touchdowns while being used mainly as a receiver.
He was drafted in the second round by the Minnesota Vikings, who have been using him in surprising ways this summer.
Assistant head coach Gary Kubiak said on Thursday that Smith’s blocking has been a pleasant surprise during this preseason (via Pro Football Talk):
“I think Irv has surprised us. We saw a smaller, athletic player but he’s really on the line of scrimmage surprised some people,” Kubiak said.
Smith and Kyle Rudolph figure to be the top two tight ends in Minnesota, so we’ll see how many passes come Smith’s way this fall.
It sounds like he’ll be able to stay on the field on running downs with his blocking skills, too.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
