Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr. is coming off a rookie season where he had 311 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Now, Smith Jr. is entering his second NFL season. PFF tabbed him as a player the Vikings underused last year. Could he be posed for a breakout 2020?
Minnesota offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak recently talked about the tight end. Here’s what he said:
“Really just settling down, knowing what we’re doing,” Kubiak told reporters about what Smith Jr. has progressed in. “We ask Irv to play a lot of spots for us, tight end the up position, those wideout positions. But Irv has really settled down. He understands schematically what we’re trying to do, how we call things.”
Kubiak went on to say that he can do a lot things with Smith Jr. on offense, whether that’s giving Rudolph a break or in the run game.
“Irv’s taken a big step as a second-year player,” Kubiak said. “We’ve got to do a good job as coaches to make sure that progress continues in the right direction.”