Last season, Irv Smith Jr. came to Minnesota as a 20-year-old rookie out of The University of Alabama. He is now entering his sophomore season with a lot of buzz around the talent he brings to the Vikings offense.
It’s clear that the talent is there, and Smith should be on the radar for a breakout season in 2020.
“This offseason I really just wanted to focus on the little things,” Smith said. “I’ve seen what I needed to work on from last year and the things that I’m good at. Excelling in those ways and trying to become the best player I can for our team this year.”
Smith also discussed how good he feels about the tight end group, with Kyle Rudolph leading the way. Rudolph has shown he can still be a dominant player in the red zone, but Smith brings another level of athleticism to the Vikings tight end group.
A picture of Smith went out on the Vikings social media of him with new wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Smith talked about his relationship with Jefferson, with both players growing up in Louisiana.
“We clicked early just being from New Orleans, being from Louisiana,” Smith said. “I’m very excited about him, he has a lot of talent. Everybody saw it at LSU and he’s going to keep bringing that energy to our team as well.”
Although they went to rival schools, it seems as if the two young pass catchers have gotten off to a good start.
With the departure of Stefon Diggs this offseason and the amount of 12 personnel Gary Kubiak likes to run, the Vikings tight end group is set up for a great year in 2020. That all starts with year two of Smith Jr. growing in his role.