Kyle Rudolph (TE, Notre Dame)

[FONT=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][SIZE=-2][FONT=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][SIZE=-2][FONT=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][SIZE=-2][FONT=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][SIZE=-2]University of Notre Dame junior tight end Kyle Rudolph (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) will forgo his final season of athletic eligibility and make himself available for the 2011 NFL Draft, Rudolph announced Wednesday. The 6-6, 265-pounder leaves Notre Dame with the fourth-most receptions and receiving yards for a career in school history. "Notre Dame is such a special place and because of all the people I met over the last three years this decision was very tough for me," Rudolph said. "I truly feel I have grown up here and this has become a home away from home for me. "I truly feel blessed for the last three years of my life at Notre Dame. It has been a great experience I wouldn't trade for anything and wish everyone could experience something like this just once in his or her life. It has also been a dream of mine to play in the National Football League and so I will forgo my final season of eligibility at Notre Dame and enter my name for the 2011 NFL Draft." Rudolph totaled 90 receptions for 1,032 yards and eight touchdowns for the Fighting Irish and started 28 of 29 career games played at Notre Dame. He ranked in the top 10 in single-season receptions in school history, catching 29 passes as a freshman, 33 as a sophomore and 28 in 2010 despite missing the last seven games of the season. "Kyle Rudolph has a very bright future ahead of him and he will instantly make some lucky NFL team much better next year," Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly said. "Kyle is a terrific talent and I enjoyed coaching him this year. He made some incredible plays for a guy his size. Who will ever forget that 95-yard touchdown play against Michigan? When I recruited Kyle as a high school senior in Cincinnati, I knew he was a special player, but over the last year I witnessed what a great person he is, too. I look forward to seeing him around campus in the future and watching him on TV from my office on Sunday afternoons." - Notre Dame football

Rudolph could be one of the more explosive true TEs to come out in recent years. Despite his 6-6, 265lb frame, he can run an estimated 4.64e! That speed and size combination is a rarity and will most likely make him a sure-fire first round pick. We will have to see how he recovers from his season-ending hamstring injury.
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Being a fairwheater ND fan, I love Rudolph.
I think he's similar to Shockey. Not a nimble guy, he's fast but I don't see him as a Jermichael Finley, but he's a willing blocker, very good at YAC and a really tall target.

He's more Chmura than Jackson IMHO.

That's the point...that he has the COMBINATION of size and speed to be a great player.

Size punishes.
Speed kills.
Together, both DOMINATE.

Don't know, watching him countless times, he's not slow by any means, but he doesn't appear as a vertical stretcher to me... Maybe it's impression because he's so heavy and big, but he's not nearly as fast as Davis or Finley. But then again, waching Witten and Gates, they don't appear as fast as well...

Those other TEs are a bit smaller and quicker. More of a TE/WR hybrid than anything. I think Tony Gonzalez is the last of the TRUE TEs who can be a mix between receiver and blocker like the TE position is supposed to be. Most of the other guys are a bit closer to OT or WR than anything these days. But this kid Rudolph could be a real throwback.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6UwzaYPCq8]YouTube - Kyle Rudolph Career Highlights at Notre Dame (08-10)[/ame]

This guy was drafted by the Vikings....he's going to be a bust now and really was never that good to begin with.

No no.

He's just going to be a loser for the rest of his career...