PurplePTSD: The Good And Not-So-Good From The 2021 Minnesota Vikings Tight Ends

Press release from the PurplePTSD:

Cole Smith

2022-02-08

There were high expectations for the young Minnesota Vikings tight ends heading into the 2021 season. Kyle Rudolph, who had been the longest-tenured Viking in the 2020 season, left in the off-season to play for the New York Giants.

This left third-year Irv Smith, Jr. to take over not only as TE1, but a big-play threat in the team’s offensive attack. That changed when Smith suffered a meniscus injury in the team’s final preseason game, forcing him to miss the entire season. It felt like a typical Vikings setback heading into the regular season.

What Went Right

Fortunately for Minnesota, fourth-year tight end Tyler Conklin came into his own and became a valuable part of the Vikings’ offense. His 61 receptions were third-most on the team, going for a total of 593 yards. Against the Seahawks in Week 3, Conklin set a season-high with 70 yards on seven receptions and a touchdown. In Week 10, he caught two touchdown passes to help the Vikings edge the Chargers 27-20.

What Went Wrong

Even though Conklin ended up being reliable, he wasn’t a game-changing tight end. He never topped 100 yards in a game, which is of course a tall task for a tight end. This isn’t a slight to Conklin but, rather, it just emphasizes the impact of Smith prior to the season. Smith would have been used almost as a hybrid WR3, allowing room for Conklin to be on the field at the same time.

Instead, Conklin ended up being the only productive tight end for Minnesota. Luke Stocker was used almost exclusively as a blocker. Chris Herndon, who was acquired from the Jets following the Smith injury for a fourth (!) round pick, was particularly disappointing. He only caught four passes for 40 yards and a touchdown on the season. Ben Ellefson was signed as a blocking tight end following the injury to Smith as well. Unfortunately, he only played in five games on the year before an injury ended his season.

What To Expect Moving Forward

Both Conklin and Herndon are set to be free agents in 2022. Even with Smith expected to return and tap into the potential he was showing in training camp, there is still room for a player like Conklin on this roster. The question, though, becomes how expensive he is. He won’t be signing any record-breaking deals, but his production should help garner some attention and money from the free agent market.

New head coach Kevin O’Connell will likely be running lots of 11 personnel in Minnesota. This will change what the tight ends have been asked to do the past decade in Minnesota. But that could bring about some exciting changes for Smith and, hopefully, Conklin as well.

This press release was produced by the PurplePTSD. The views expressed here are the author’s own.