| 2011 NFL Draft Watch #42: Kyle Rudolph | ||||
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The countdown continues and our number forty-two prospect in college football is... Tight End Kyle Rudolph, Notre Dame (Junior):
Players Profiled To Date: 1. Andrew Luck, Quarterback, Stanford 2. Jake Locker, Quarterback, Washington 3. A.J. Green, Wide Receiver, Georgia 4. Marcel Dareus, Defensive Lineman, Alabama 5. Patrick Peterson, Cornerback, LSU 6. Robert Quinn, Defensive End, North Carolina 7. Cameron Heyward, Defensive End, Ohio State 8. Ryan Williams, Running Back, Virginia Tech 9. Adrian Clayborn, Defensive End, Iowa 10. Mark Ingram, Running Back, Alabama 11. Anthony Castonzo, Offensive Tackle, Boston College 12. Julio Jones, Wide Receiver, Alabama 13. Allen Bailey, Defensive Lineman, Miami 14. Greg Romeus, Defensive End, Pittsburgh 15. Prince Amukamara, Cornerback, Nebraska 16. Gabe Carimi, Offensive Tackle, Wisconsin 17. Ryan Mallett, Quarterback, Arkansas 18. Marvin Austin, Defensive Tackle, North Carolina 19. Michael Floyd, Wide Receiver, Notre Dame 20. Bruce Carter, Outside Linebacker, North Carolina 21. Aaron Williams, Cornerback, Texas 22. DeAndre McDaniel, Safety, Clemson 23. Stephen Paea, Defensive Tackle, Oregon State 24. Jonathan Baldwin, Wide Receiver, Pittsburgh 25. Matt Reynolds, Offensive Tackle, BYU 26. Jurrell Casey, Defensive Tackle, USC 27. Ras-I Dowling, Cornerback, Virginia 28. Akeem Ayers, Outside Linebacker UCLA 29. Nate Solder, Offensive Tackle, Colorado 30. Rahim Moore, Free Safety, UCLA 31. Da'Quan Bowers, Defensive End, Clemson 32. Quan Sturdivant, Outside Linebacker, North Carolina 33. Brandon Harris, Cornerback, Miami 34. Von Miller, Outside Linebacker, Texas A&M 35. Jerrod Johnson, Quarterback, Texas A&M 36. Mark Herzlich, Outside Linebacker, Boston College 37. Christian Ponder, Quarterback, Florida State 38. Stefen Wisniewski, Offensive Guard/Center, Penn State 39. Jared Crick, Defensive Tackle, Nebraska 40. Mike Pouncey, Center/Offensive Guard, Florida 41. Dont'a Hightower, Inside Linebacker, Alabama * * * * * Available Now: Get your copy of the 2010 Post-Draft Recap & Rookie Fantasy Football Analysis right here. For more exclusive player reports order a copy of our first ever 2011 NFL Draft Prospectus, featuring the stars of tomorrow for '11 and beyond! CLICK HERE Follow us on Twitter @NFLDraftBible Let us know your thoughts, leave a comment below... Photo Courtesy of Notre Dame Sports Information 
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The Skinny: The Notre Dame product might be the most pro-ready junior tight end the NFL has seen in years. Standing at 6’6” and tipping the scales at 265 pounds Rudolph is the absolute prototype for a three-down, inline tight end—if teams were to build a tight end from scratch, those would be the measurements they would input. Combine that with his unique athleticism, superb instincts, great motor, natural gigantic hands, his ability to process information, and the fact that he is a great teammate and it’s easy to see why this young man has been on the radar of pro scouts since his freshman year in South Bend. From a purely athletic standpoint Rudolph moves exceedingly well for a man his size. His light feet, smooth hips, and great burst give him rare separation ability, as well as surprising wiggle in the open field. What makes Rudolph such a complete prospect at the tight end position is his ability to run block. His natural strength and explosive hips allow him to not only be a deft run blocker, but excel in pass protection as well. While Rudolph has good short-area quickness and light feet his long speed is not elite for a tight end, which limits his potential. What this means is that Rudolph’s route tree in the NFL is likely going to be limited to about 20 yards down the field, as he will offer little as a deep threat. Rudolph also has injury concerns, which mostly stem from his style of play and his recent off-season shoulder injury. Comparing him to last year’s top tight end at the same stage in their development, Rudolph is more balanced than