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Irish In The NFL: 2018 Could Be Kyle Rudolph’s Best Season Yet

By J.P. Scott

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 3: Kyle Rudolph #82 of the Minnesota Vikings waves to the crowd after the game against the New York Giants on October 3, 2016 at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated the Giants 24-10. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 3: Kyle Rudolph #82 of the Minnesota Vikings waves to the crowd after the game against the New York Giants on October 3, 2016 at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated the Giants 24-10. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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Former Notre Dame tight end Kyle Rudolph has developed into one of the best tight ends in the NFL. The upcoming 2018 season could very well be his best statistically.

Anyone who has followed former Notre Dame tight end Kyle Rudolph — even before his collegiate days — knows has always been an undeniable talent.

The 5-star prospect out of Cincinnati arrived on the Notre Dame campus a decade ago and made the most out of his limited targets during his three-year collegiate career.

Since entering the NFL in 2011, Rudolph has steadily climbed the ranks to become one of the very best in the league at his position. All told during his seven-year professional career with the Minnesota Vikings, Rudolph has hauled in 322 receptions for 3,153 yards and 37 touchdowns.

His 2016 campaign was far and away the best of Rudolph’s career. During that season, he logged 83 receptions for 840 yards and seven scores.

Despite recovering from offseason ankle surgery, there’s reason to believe Rudolph could top his 2016 numbers during the 2018 campaign.

For starters, the Vikings should have a healthy Dalvin Cook in the backfield. Cook’s presence and playmaking ability will require linebackers and safeties to pay extra attention to the Viking backfield. That’s likely to give Rudolph a step or two on every play — especially on play action.

If he’s open, Rudolph is a hard target to miss — and he’s a dependable receiver.

The Cousins Factor

You could make the argument that the arrival of Kirk Cousins in Minnesota means Rudolph will have the most talented passer he’s ever played with delivering him the ball in 2018. If Rudolph is consistently able to get open, he should expect to be targeted frequently and accurately.

With Cousins under center, Redskin tight ends were targeted 126 times in 2017. That’s more than Rudolph has been target in all but one of his seven seasons — 2016.

Kyle Rudolph is a more talented pass-catching tight end than anyone on the Redskins roster in 2017.

Next: Top 10 Former Notre Dame Players in the NFL

Between his already important role in Minnesota’s offense, a talented running back who demands attention, and a new quarterback who isn’t shy about targeting his tight ends, it’s not out of the question that Kyle Rudolph’s 2018 season could end up being the best of his career.

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