Irv Smith

Irv Smith

24-Year-Old Tight EndTE
 Free Agent  
Free Agent
2022 Fantasy Outlook
After scoring five touchdowns in a part-time role in 2020, Smith was expected to ascend to the top of Minnesota's tight end depth chart last season. He suffered a meniscus injury during preseason, however, that sidelined him for the rest of the year. In Smith's absence, Tyler Conklin caught 61 of 87 targets for 593 yards and three touchdowns, proving there's still room for a moderately successful pass-catching tight end in a Vikings offense with Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen on the outside and Dalvin Cook in the backfield. Notably, Conklin's 16 red- zone targets tied for eighth among tight ends. Conklin subsequently signed with the Jets, creating an opening for Smith to step in as the unquestioned starter - something that had been expected prior to his knee injury. Smith made it back for training camp, but he then injured his finger and required surgery in early August. The Vikings expect him back for Week 1, though it may not be a sure thing. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
$Signed a four-year, $5.8 million contract with the Vikings in May of 2019.
Set to hit free agency
TEMinnesota Vikings
January 23, 2023
Over eight regular-season games, Smith recorded 25 receptions (on 36 targets) for 182 yards and two touchdowns in 2022.
ANALYSIS
Smith got out to a solid start over the first seven games of the season before landing on IR with a high-ankle sprain. The 2019 second-round pick then was activated ahead of the regular-season finale, though he'd already lost his No. 1 tight end spot to T.J. Hockenson, whom the Vikings acquired via trade from Detroit just before Smith went on injured reserve Nov. 1. Smith then finished the campaign by catching one of two targets while playing just four offensive snaps in the wild-card loss to the Giants. He thus finished the 2022 campaign with the lowest receiving marks of his career outside of the 2021 season, when he sat out every game due to a meniscus injury. Smith now is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, leaving it possible he isn't retained by the Vikings.
Read More News
NFL Stats
Loading NFL Stats...
Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.
Loading Fantasy/Red Zone Stats...
Advanced NFL Stats
How do Irv Smith's 2022 advanced stats compare to other tight ends?
This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
  • Air Yards Per Game
    The number of air yards he is averaging per game. Air yards measure how far the ball was thrown downfield for both complete and incomplete passes. Air yards are recorded as a negative value when the pass is targeted behind the line of scrimmage. All air yards data is from Sports Info Solutions and does not include throwaways as targeted passes.
  • Air Yards Per Snap
    The number of air yards he is averaging per offensive snap.
  • % Team Air Yards
    The percentage of the team's total air yards he accounts for.
  • % Team Targets
    The percentage of the team's total targets he accounts for.
  • Avg Depth of Target
    Also known as aDOT, this stat measures the average distance down field he is being targeted at.
  • Catch Rate
    The number of catches made divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Drop Rate
    The number of passes he dropped divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Avg Yds After Catch
    The number of yards he gains after the catch on his receptions.
  • % Targeted On Route
    Targets divided by total routes run. Also known as TPRR.
  • Avg Yds Per Route Run
    Receiving yards divided by total routes run. Also known as YPRR.
Air Yards Per Game
21.1
 
Air Yards Per Snap
0.63
 
% Team Air Yards
3.5%
 
% Team Targets
5.5%
 
Avg Depth of Target
4.8 Yds
 
Catch Rate
69.4%
 
Drop Rate
8.3%
 
Avg Yds After Catch
3.8
 
% Targeted On Route
22.9%
 
Avg Yds Per Route Run
1.16
 
Loading Advanced NFL Stats...
2022
2021
2020
2019
2022 NFL Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
Standard
PPR
Half PPR
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Game Log...
2021 NFL Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
Standard
PPR
Half PPR
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Game Log...
2020 NFL Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
Standard
PPR
Half PPR
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Game Log...
2019 NFL Game Log
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Scoring
Standard
PPR
Half PPR
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo DFS
Loading Game Log...
Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Irv Smith lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
Detailed
Grouped
Side
Loading Alignment Breakdown...
Loading Alignment Breakdown...
Loading Alignment Breakdown...
Loading Team Alignment Breakdown...
2022 Irv Smith Split Stats
Loading NFL Split Stats...
Measurables Review View College Player Page
How do Irv Smith's measurables compare to other tight ends?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
6' 2"
 
Weight
240 lbs
 
40-Yard Dash
4.63 sec
 
Shuttle Time
4.33 sec
 
Cone Drill
7.32 sec
 
Vertical Jump
32.5 in
 
Broad Jump
110 in
 
Bench Press
19 reps
 
Hand Length
9.50 in
 
Arm Length
31.50 in
 
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Irv Smith See More
Target Breakdown: 2022 Tight End Recap and 2023 Early Fantasy Rankings
42 days ago
Jerry Donabedian takes a look back at some of 2022's standouts and gives his early 2023 fantasy rankings for tight ends.
Box Score Breakdown: Snaps, Routes & Air Yards From the Wild-Card Round
64 days ago
Superstars did most of the heavy lifting for the wild-card winners, but there were also some lesser-known heroes like Isaiah Hodgins and Khalil Shakir.
Weekly Rankings: Wild-Card Round Value Meter
70 days ago
George Kittle approves of Brock Purdy's work since taking over as the Niners' starting quarterback.
Box Score Breakdown: Snaps, Routes, Air Yards & Usage Rates from Week 18
72 days ago
James Cook got more snaps and carries than Devin Singletary even with the Bills playing their starters for the entire game Sunday.
NFL Playoffs Rankings: Cheat Sheets by Position
72 days ago
Jim Coventry has Patrick Mahomes first among quarterbacks in his playoffs cheat sheet. Check out all of his rankings for your playoffs fantasy drafts.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2021
2020
2019
Between his strong finish last year and Kyle Rudolph's departure this offseason, Smith seemed well positioned for a Year 3 breakout in 2021. The Alabama product isn't an elite athlete in terms of workout stats, though a 4.63 40 and 32.5-inch vertical are nothing to scoff at, particularly for a guy who was 20 years old at the 2019 combine. Age is another selling point, as Smith turned 23 in August but already has 14 NFL starts and 1,157 offensive snaps to his name. That's especially impressive at tight end, where even top prospects often are eased into the league in part-time roles. Unfortunately, Smith's ascent to fantasy relevance will be delayed, with a meniscus injury in late August requiring surgery that's expected to be season-ending. The Vikings are left with Tyler Conklin, Chris Herndon and Brandon Dillon at tight end.
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.
Although Smith's Alabama resume didn't match up with O.J. Howard's, the Vikings thought highly enough of Smith to select him with the 50th overall selection. Smith gets marks for pedigree - his father was an NFL tight end in the 90s - and he was considered the best pass-catching tight end in the talent-rich SEC last year. Minnesota isn't expected to keep Kyle Rudolph much longer, it's just a matter of whether or not Rudolph is jettisoned before the 2019 season. It's a mistake to expect Smith to rip up the league right away, especially since he turns 21 right before the season, but he'll probably settle in as a Minnesota staple in the next couple of years. He has interesting upside.
More Fantasy News
Three catches in return from injury
TEMinnesota Vikings
January 9, 2023
Smith gathered in all three targets for 14 yards during Sunday's 29-13 win over Chicago.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Comes off IR
TEMinnesota Vikings
January 7, 2023
Smith (ankle) was activated off injured reserve Saturday.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
To be activated
TEMinnesota Vikings
Ankle
January 6, 2023
The Vikings plan to activate Smith (ankle) from injured reserve before Sunday's game against Chicago, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Cleared to practice
TEMinnesota Vikings
Ankle
December 28, 2022
The Vikings designated Smith (ankle) for return from injured reserve Wednesday, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Progressing, but still out Week 16
TEMinnesota Vikings
Ankle
December 23, 2022
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said Thursday that Smith (ankle) is progressing, but the tight end will remain on injured reserve for Saturday's game against the Giants, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. "He looks really good," O'Connell said of Smith, who has resumed working out off to the side with trainers during practice. "Hopefully we can get him back with us soon."
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.