By Nick Brinkerhoff
Let’s have a chat about security. It’s a major part of day to day life, and something you cannot avoid after walking into a building or public place.
Everyone needs a plan for when everything hits the fan. Movie theaters play emergency exit route videos in between trailers of the latest “Fast and Furious movies” and whatever the latest Marvel film happens to be.
Stadiums and arenas advise fans what to do in the event of an evacuation. But what NFL stadiums fail to do, is showcase an emergency plan for a team’s offense. That’s one thing Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has always been good at identifying though.
Just think of him as the Vikings head of security. I once wrote about how the team is “Stuck in the Middle with Cousins,” something that still holds true to this day, and probably won’t change anytime soon.
The problem for Cousins is that he’s currently a victim of, “Mo Money Mo Problems,” but for fear of going down a list of his greatest hits, let’s just say the pressure will only get worse from here. Luckily for him, Cousins loves the NFL’s offensive escape route. The tight end position. And that should be music to Irv Smith Jr.’s ears.
Kirk Cousins relies on the tight end position
There’s a new sheriff in town this season, and his name is Kevin O’Connell. The new head coach in Minnesota promises to bring a balanced attack on offense, while also having already coached Cousins once before.
O’Connell served as the quarterbacks coach in 2017 when Cousins was still a member of the then-Washington Redskins. Let’s just hope the mob understands that piece of history. Either way, Cousins targeted the tight end position 127 times that season, which ranked ninth in the league.
Since Cousins was promoted to full-time starting quarterback in 2015, he ranks fourth among his colleagues in tight end targets with 810, and touchdowns, 49. It’s a staggering number for a team that has two dominant wide receivers, plus a great running back as well.
Smith missed the 2021 campaign with a meniscus injury, but fellow tight end Tyler Conklin had a breakout year, which landed him a contract with the New York Jets in free agency.
What is Irv Smith Jr.’s role in the Viking offense?
As Conklin departs, Smith suddenly finds himself atop the depth chart at the position, one without a ton of competition, at least on paper. Cousins has always shown a willingness to not only target the position in the passing game, but especially the one that earns the starting position.
It’s an offense based around receiver’s Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, while also possessing a dominant running game with Dalvin Cook. Regardless, there is still room for Smith.
In 2021, Conklin was targeted 87 times, and finished with 61 receptions, both of those ranked third on the team. Now Smith becomes the obvious choice to fill that void, whether based on merit or necessity is for him to ultimately determine.
Throughout Smith’s first two NFL seasons, he managed to be targeted 47 times in 2019, and 43 in 2020. At the end of the day, all someone needs is an opportunity, especially in the NFL.
O’Connell told reporters that he expects his tight ends to also be capable blockers, something Smith has proven in his short career. But at the end of the day, the biggest feather in Smith’s cap is just how little the Vikings did to shore up the position in the offseason.
And there is no stat that can quantify that kind of endorsement. It seems as though NFL analysts have been saying for the last few years that the breakout season is upon us for Smith.
As someone that’s now fully healthy and with all the opportunity in the world, I’m inclined to agree. He not only profiles as someone worthy of a look at weekly NFL player prop bets, but someone that should get a look in fantasy drafts as well.