Rookie tight ends are supposed to drop passes, miss blocks, commit penalties and run poor routes. The Vikings are glad nobody sent the memo to Smith, a 2019 second-round pick who turned 21 a month before Week 1. The Alabama product stepped right in as the No. 2 TE behind Kyle Rudolph, averaging 38.3 snaps per game in an offense that used multiple tight ends on 55 percent of its plays (second highest rate in the league). Rudolph maintained his three-down role for most of the year and scored six touchdowns, but he also saw 77 snaps as a pass blocker, compared to only 21 for Smith. Rudolph finished with small advantages in routes (361 to 322), targets (48 to 47), catch rate (83.0 to 76.6), aDOT (6.5 to 5.8) and YAC average (4.9 to 4.1), with both tight ends serving as reliable but nonexplosive options for Kirk Cousins. The difference, of course, is that Smith is a young guy with 4.63 speed, while the 30-year-old Rudolph ran a 4.78 40 at his pro day nine years ago. By the end of last season, it was often Rudolph rather than Smith coming off the field on third downs. The trend figures to continue in 2020, and with rookie Justin Jefferson replacing Stefon Diggs at wide receiver, there's a nice opportunity for Smith to emerge as Option B or C in the Minnesota passing game. Read Past Outlooks