Former Notre Dame tight end Kyle Rudolph was on his way to re-writing all of the records for his position at the storied football school.
He started as a freshman, but injuries sidelined him during his sophomore and junior seasons. Instead of staying in school to chase the records and help coach Brian Kelly get things turned around, Rudolph elected to enter the NFL draft, which will be held April 28-30.
“Rudolph is athletic with very good hands, and at times he looked a little like Todd Heap, who came out of Arizona State [in 2001] and has had a very good career with the Baltimore Ravens,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper said.
Rudolph, who was recruited to Notre Dame by former coach Charlie Weis, said it was a difficult decision to leave a year early.
Rudolph played in a pro-style attack under Weis and in Kelly’s spread offense. The versatility should help him in the NFL as more teams are incorporating spread principles into their offensive attacks.
Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland believes that the position in the NFL is evolving to include tight ends more in the backfield and in the slot.
“There’s are lot of comparisons to the way colleges use their tight ends and pros,” Ireland said.
Rudolph was on pace to go down as the best tight end in Notre Dame history. He finished his career ranked fourth in career receptions (90) and receiving yards (1,032) by a tight end.
He has visions of being able to hold the point of attack and block at the line of scrimmage, while also being a threat to get down field and catch passes in the NFL.
“I’m a tight end who can play on all downs,” Rudolph said.
Notre Dame tight ends, going back to Mark Bavaro, have a history of being successful in the NFL. Bavaro starred in the NFL from 1985-94.
Rudolph is more familiar with former Notre Dame tight ends Anthony Fasano and John Carlson. Fasano, who currently is with the Miami Dolphins, was drafted in the second round in 2006 by the Dallas Cowboys. Carlson plays with Seattle and was taken in the second round in 2008.
“Every time I visited Notre Dame, I was stuck with John,” Rudolph said. “I was at his hip, and everything I did, I followed John.”
There is little question about Rudolph’s talents. However, his medical history is a reason why he likely won’t be the first tight end selected.
As a sophomore in 2009, he suffered a separated left shoulder against Navy and surgery was required. Last season, he battled a nagging hamstring injury until he was forced to have surgery Oct. 15 to repair two torn tendons.
He was unable to compete at the NFL scouting combine in February. Once healed, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.78 seconds on Notre Dame’s Pro Day on April 7.
“Right after I had my surgery in October, I wasn’t sure, but as things went along and as I progressed, this is [an injury] that I’ll make a complete recovery from,” Rudolph said.
Rudolph fights the notion that he’s only a pass-catching tight end.
“You don’t see many guys that are able to play first down, second down and third down,” Rudolph said. “That’s my goal every day when I’m working. I want to be a tight end that is an all-down tight end.”
He sees Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez as the gold standard for the position.
“Tony Gonzalez is the best tight end who has ever played in my time, and I really try to model myself after him,” Rudolph said. “But I feel that Jason Witten, I feel really comparable to his game, a guy that can hold the point and is a great blocker, but at the same time he makes huge plays in the passing game.”
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