Resetting the Minnesota Vikings’ Depth Chart: Tight End

As we continue looking at the Minnesota Vikings’ roster going into the 2017 NFL Draft, we’ve come to the tight end position. It seems highly likely that the Vikings will invest a draft pick at the tight end position in a couple of weeks here, given that there are only four tight ends on the current roster, and only two that have actual NFL experience.

So, this reset should be relatively easy. Let’s get to it, shall we?

The Main Guy - Kyle Rudolph

In 2016, Kyle Rudolph finally had the sort of season that we’ve been waiting for Kyle Rudolph to have for years. On a team-high 132 targets on the season, he caught 83 passes. . .30 more than he had caught in his previous best season in 2012. . .and found the end zone seven times. With Pat Shurmur running things on offense full-time now, Rudolph figures to be a big part of the Minnesota offense in the future. Sure, he doesn’t get a lot of yards after the catch, but he’s a pretty reliable end zone target, and should continue to get a lot of work in that role.

The Blocker - David Morgan

Morgan made history in 2016 by becoming the first player from the University of Texas-San Antonio to be drafted into the National Football League. He played in 12 games in 2016 and caught just one pass for four yards. But he wasn’t drafted because of his receiving abilities. Rick Spielman said when Morgan was drafted that he was the best blocking tight end in his class, and with Rhett Ellison having moved on to the New York Giants, he’s probably going to get a much greater opportunity to show that in 2017.

The Practice Squad Guy - Kyle Carter

Carter spent most of the season on the Vikings’ practice squad after being part of the team’s final cuts coming out of Training Camp. He was released in October, but re-signed with the team in mid-December. He had three catches for 21 yards in the pre-season, but I honestly don’t remember a heck of a lot else about what he did.

The Longshot - Nick Truesdell

Truesdell hasn’t played a lot of football. . .well, not football as we commonly think of it, anyway. His time at the University of Cincinnati was cut short for off-the-field issues, and he tore his ACL in his first game after transferring to a community college. Since 2014, he’s bounced around various indoor football teams, but the Vikings decided to take a flier on him after the Veteran Combine. He’s a bit of a long shot, to put it mildly.

And, ladies and gentlemen, that’s the entire tight end depth chart for your Minnesota Vikings as things stand right now. As I said in the opener, the team is more likely than not to invest a draft pick at the tight end position when the 2017 Draft comes around. How high a pick do you think they should use?