Vikings Beat: TE Kyle Rudolph is a 'special talent' and a 'matchup nightmare'

Vikings writer Mike Wobschall...

Over the course of the three days, I was impressed with TE Kyle Rudolph. It’s almost daily that he makes a handful of catches that make it obvious he is a special talent, whether it’s posting a LB up over the middle or outrunning a safety on a corner route to haul in long receptions. Rudy is a matchup nightmare for defenses and having him healthy is a big deal for the offense. The last time the Vikings had Rudolph for 16 games, they went to the playoffs and he won MVP honors in the Pro Bowl.

It has been a frustrating two years for Rudolph and his owners, as he’s missed 15 of a possible 32 games in that span. But he saw 17 targets in three games last season before going down with a sports hernia. Over the past three seasons, Rudolph has averaged 5.2 targets per game, which is about what Owen Daniels averaged in 2014. There’s some upside in OC Norv Turner’s TE-friendly offense if he can stay healthy. Granted, that’s a big “if.”