The Facts:
By all accounts, the Vikings have a TE who could be as good as any player at his position in the NFC North. "He's a guy that has a chance to be special," HC Leslie Frazier said of Rudolph on Thursday. "He works very hard and is very talented, there's no question about that. But the way he can catch the football is second-to-none. … His catching radius is amazing. If Christian [Ponder] gets it close to him, he knows that Kyle is going to come up with the football. That gives him a lot of confidence."
Reported by ESPN.com
Fantasy Football Diehards Line:
According to ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert, Rudolph is in many ways a perfect target for a young QB who could use a security blanket in the early stages of his development. Ponder will look often for play-making wide receiver Percy Harvin this season, I'm sure, but Seifert wouldn't be surprised in the least if Rudolph finishes the season as his most frequent target. And he's reliable. Last season, Rudolph dropped only one of the 37 passes thrown his way. He caught 26 of them, including three touchdowns. Worth noting: Rudolph is thinking big after spending the offseason watching video of the NFL's top tight ends. He has tried to emulate the way Tony Gonzalez creates separation at the top of his routes, and he also watched how the New England Patriots' Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez play off one another. "I've got a full season under my belt, and then an entire offseason to rep all the stuff that we're installing now," Rudolph said. "Going into last year, installs were all new. Now it's just review, and you're able to work on more things other than just learning the plays. ..." Bottom line? The buzz is starting to grow, but if it doesn't get too out of hand, Rudolph will be a great TE2 with the upside to deliver more.
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