EAGAN, Minn. -- Adam Thielen's hamstring injury forced the Minnesota Vikings' offense to reinvent itself for the better part of the past five games.
What better time for tight end Irv Smith Jr. to hit the peak of his rookie progression than now. Over the past 11 weeks, Smith has not only shown he can handle the duties of run-blocking, which are often difficult for first-year players, he has also emerged as an important pass-catcher in a top-10 offense.
Smith, a second-round pick out of Alabama, is thriving in a starter's role as the Vikings have deployed heavy tight end usage while retooling their passing attack without Thielen.