Kyle Rudolph can relate to draft day uncertainty prompted by injury.
In 2011, Rudolph was coming off a torn hamstring suffered during his junior season (2010) at Notre Dame. It kept him from participating at the NFL Scouting Combine, but he was able to run the 40-yard dash for scouts three weeks later.
The Vikings had seen enough positives out of Rudolph’s first three years at college to make him the first tight end selected in that year’s class. Rudolph was picked in the second round, 43rd overall, the second-highest ever for a Vikings tight end (Hal Bedsole, 19th overall, 1964).