Good News for Irv Smith Jr.
K. Joudry
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According to Kevin O’Connell, Irv Smith Jr. is still on track to start in Week 1.
The young tight end hurt himself earlier in training camp, resulting in surgery on his thumb. The initial word was that Smith would be ready in time for the regular season. Today’s press conference from O’Connell reconfirmed what was originally believed.
Take a look:
“Everything with Irv,” O’Connell says, “has been really positive.” Shortly thereafter, O’Connell notes that Smith is doing some work off to the side to ensure the tight end is keeping himself in good shape. Getting some extra work with the tight end coach will certainly help, and the effort to get him more involved in the practices in the near future will be similarly helpful.
In 2022, Irv Smith Jr. won’t need to be the Vikings’ main pass-catching option. In fact, there’s a good chance that he’s the 3rd or 4th option. Justin Jefferson, of course, will be leading the charge. Provided his health cooperates, Adam Thielen will be seeing plenty of targets. From there, K.J. Osborn, Dalvin Cook, and Alexander Mattison will all get some looks in the passing game.
Be that as it may, Smith will still play a crucial role in this offense. When he’s on the field, opposing defenses will need to worry about one more threat. He can fly down the field, getting open against a linebacker. If a corner tries to match up, then Smith should have the size/strength advantage, allowing him to have the edge for contested catches.
In his first two seasons in the NFL, he put together some strong numbers. One of the more impressive stats is his 12.2 yards per reception in 2020. According to PFR, that’s the same average for Travis Kelce last season. Mark Andrews was up at 12.7 yards per catch, and George Kittle was at 12.8.
So, Smith wasn’t shattering records, but his per-catch average from 2020 is within range of the game’s best tight ends. Part of the key for Irv Smith Jr. will be staying healthy. He’ll then need to prove he can keep the impressive numbers going with an increased workload.
The Vikings offense will likely allow for him to find green grass since the other skill players will demand so much attention. If that occurs, then we may be in for a breakout season from the young TE.
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