Vikings Could Reunite Star With His College Wingman
In the 2019 Draft, the Vikings selected Garrett Bradbury with their first pick and tight end Irv Smith with their second. Smith’s selection was surprising, as Kyle Rudolph was still a decent player and even received a contract extension later in the offseason.
Vikings Could Reunite Star With His College Wingman
Smith was the third tight end off the board. He’s currently under contract with the Houston Texans. The first one taken, however, is T.J. Hockenson, who is a Viking. The former 8th overall pick of the Detroit Lions has been one of the top weapons in Minnesota’s offense since his arrival.
Hockenson was a highly-touted draft prospect out of Iowa, where he generated 760 yards and six touchdowns in his final season. It is fascinating that his college teammate, Noah Fant, the second tight end taken in that 2019 draft, had 519 yards and seven touchdowns in the same season.
The offense quarterbacked by former Viking Nate Stanley was run through the two tight ends. Another wrinkle is Ihmir Smith-Marsette’s presence on that offense. Minnesota’s 5th-round pick was the second-most productive wide receiver with 361 yards and three scores.
Hockenson is employed by the Vikings, Stanley and Smith-Marsette once were, so why not fire up a deal for Noah Fant?
The former 20th overall pick of the Denver Broncos hasn’t quite lived up to the draft hype with stints in Denver and Seattle, but he’s had six solid seasons at the pro level, collecting over 400 yards in each. He eclipsed 500 yards four times and 600 yards twice.
On Sunday, the Seahawks decided to part ways with the 27-year-old.
Adam Schefter reported, “Seahawks released veteran tight end Noah Fant, the 2019 first-round pick who was acquired in the 2022 trade that sent Russell Wilson to Denver. Over the past three seasons in Seattle, Fant started 42 games and had 130 receptions for 1,400 yards and five touchdowns.”
For him, the timing couldn’t be much worse, as most rosters are set and nobody really needs a new TE1. A backup and rotational role is the most likely outcome for Fant, especially in a prove-it fashion with a short-term contract.
The Vikings might have an opening at tight end, considering Kevin O’Connell’s “best TE3 in the league” is gone, as Johnny Mundt headed to Jacksonville in free agency.
FantasyLife’s Thor Nystrom thinks the Vikings should look into the situation: “One of the great TE combinations in CFB over the last 20 years was TJ Hockenson/Noah Fant at Iowa. Not sure the Vikings have a role available that Fant would find preferable to others that will be pitched to him. But if I’m the Vikes, I’m kicking the tires to find out.”
It remains to be seen if Fant is ready for a depth role like that. The Vikings are a team that heavily features sets with two tight ends, and their current lineup features blocking specialist Josh Oliver either next to Hockenson or with someone else on obvious running downs. That someone else, however, is in Jacksonville.
AtoZSports’ Tyler Forness opined on social media, “Without a clear TE3, adding a versatile pass catcher like Noah Fant would be a smart add for the Vikings if he doesn’t have a lot of options as a free agent.”
The other candidates for the TE3 job are rookies Ben Yurosek and Gavin Bartholomew. Sixth-rounder Bartholomew should be viewed as the front-runner due to his draft pedigree.
The Vikings already have a scary wideout duo of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, and they have a new running back duo with Jordan Mason supporting Aaron Jones.
It’s a long shot, of course, as someone might have a bigger role for Fant, but it’s fun to think about, regardless. Rebuilding Iowa’s tight end tandem is a fun thought.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.