5 things to know about Kyle Rudolph
The Giants officially signed two-time Pro Bowl tight end Kyle Rudolph to a contract on Wednesday, adding another talented pass-catcher to the offense.
Here are five things to know about the new Giants tight end:
1. Kyle Rudolph is entering his 11th season in the NFL after spending his first 10 years with the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings selected Rudolph in the second round (43rd overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft. He started 132 of the 140 games in which he played, including 12 games in 2020. From 2015 to 2019, the veteran tight end did not miss a single game, starting 80 consecutive contests.
2. For his career, Rudolph has registered 453 receptions for 4,488 yards (9.9 yards per reception) and 48 touchdowns. He has proven to have very consistent hands, as he has fumbled the ball twice in 10 years. Over the last four seasons, he has dropped just two of his 233 targets.
3. Rudolph has twice been selected to the Pro Bowl, the first coming after the conclusion of the 2012 season. That year, the tight end started all 16 games and finished with 53 receptions for 493 yards (9.3 yards per reception) and nine touchdowns. He was named MVP of the Pro Bowl after catching five passes for 122 yards and a touchdown, which happened to come from the hands of Eli Manning.
His second Pro Bowl selection followed the 2017 campaign, when he once again started all 16 games and caught 57 passes for 532 yards (9.3 yards per reception) and eight touchdowns. In the Pro Bowl, Rudolph led all NFC pass-catchers with seven receptions for 70 yards.
Despite the two Pro Bowl selections, Rudolph's strongest season overall likely came in 2016. In 16 games that year, he had 83 receptions for 840 yards (both career-highs) and seven touchdowns.
4. As dominant as he has been on the field, Rudolph has been just as impressive off of it. The tight end was named the Minnesota Vikings Community Man of the Year in 2017, 2018 and 2019, serving as the team's Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee each of those years.
In 2017, he founded Kyle Rudolph's End Zone at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, providing hospital patients and their families a place to relax. Rudolph would go on to win the 2018 Walter Payton Man of the Year Challenge, earning $25,000 from Nationwide to donate to the children's hospital.
5. Prior to joining the NFL, Rudolph played three seasons at Notre Dame and finished his collegiate career ranked among the all-time leading tight ends in school history. In 29 games for the Fighting Irish, he had 90 receptions for 1,032 yards and eight touchdowns.
During his junior season, Rudolph set the school record for receiving yards in a game by a tight end with 164 yards on eight receptions vs. Michigan. He became the first tight end in school history to start all 13 games as a freshman, and was the first freshman to ever start a season opener at tight end for Notre Dame.
Giants re-sign Devante Downs; played 16 games with 8 starts in '20
Downs, 25, played in all 16 games with eight starts in 2020. Downs finished the season with 27 tackles (21 solo), one quarterback hit, one pass defensed and one fumble recovery. He posted a season-high five solo tackles at Philadelphia on Oct. 22 and in the rematch with the Eagles on Nov. 15. Downs kept the Giants' first possession of the season alive when he recovered a muffed punt by Pittsburgh's Diontae Johnson in the season opener. The recovery led to a Graham Gano field goal.
Downs' 254 special teams snaps ranked third on the team behind Nate Ebner (328) and Cam Brown (314) and his six tackles tied Ebner, Brown and Corey Ballentine for third.
Downs joined the Giants' practice squad on Oct. 1, 2019 and the active roster three weeks later. He entered the NFL as a seventh-round draft choice by the Minnesota Vikings in 2018. He played 13 games over two seasons before the Vikings waived him on Sept. 24, 2019.
View photos of Giants linebacker Devante Downs.
LB Devante Downs
New York Giants LB Devante Downs (52) during a week 13 game against the Green Bay Packers at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ
New York Giants linebacker Devante Downs (52) runs on the field before an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Devante Downs (52)
Devante Downs (52)
New York Giants linebacker Devante Downs (52) during a week 14 regular season football game against the Arizona Cardinals at MetLife Stadium on December 13th, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
Devante Downs (52), Blake Martinez (54)
Devante Downs (52)
New York Giants linebacker Devante Downs (52) in action on defense against the Cincinnati Bengals during an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020, in Cincinnati. The Giants defeated the Bengals 19-17. (Joe Robbins via AP)
Devante Downs (52)
New York Giants linebacker Devante Downs (52) celebrates a fumble recovery during a week 1 regular season Monday Night football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at MetLife Stadium on September 13th, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
New York Giants linebacker Devante Downs (52) makes a catch during warmups up prior to an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Nov. 29, 2020, in Cincinnati. The Giants won 19-17. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)
New York Giants linebacker Devante Downs (52) during a week 14 regular season football game against the Arizona Cardinals at MetLife Stadium on December 13th, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
New York Giants linebacker Devante Downs (52) warms up before an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
New York Giants linebacker Devante Downs (52) in action during an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
New York Giants linebacker Devante Downs (52) in action during an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
New York Giants linebacker Devante Downs (52) lines up on special teams during an NFL game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Seattle. The Giants defeated the Seahawks 17-12. (Kevin Terrell via AP)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett, left, is tackled by New York Giants linebacker Devante Downs during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Seattle. Lockett left the field with an injury after the play. (AP Photo/Larry Maurer)
New York Giants linebacker Devante Downs (52) rushes during an NFL game against the Washington Football Team, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020, in Landover, MD. The Giants defeated Washington 23-20. (Al Tielemans via AP)
New York Giants linebacker Devante Downs (52) heads off the field during an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
New York Giants' Devante Downs (52) before an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020, in Philadelphia. The Eagles defeated the Giants 22-21. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)
New York Giants linebacker Devante Downs (52) rushes during an NFL game against the Washington Football Team, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020, in Landover, MD. The Giants defeated Washington 23-20. (Al Tielemans via AP)
New York Giants linebacker Devante Downs (52) plays the field during an NFL game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Monday, Nov. 02, 2020, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Buccaneers beat the Giants 25-23. (Cooper Neill via AP)
New York Giants linebacker Devante Downs (52) in action during an NFL football game against the Washington Football Team, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
New York Giants linebacker Devante Downs (52) runs in pursuit during an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019 in Chicago. The Bears defeated the Giants 19-14. (Scott Boehm via AP)
New York Giants linebacker Devante Downs (52) rests during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 in Inglewood, Calif. The Rams defeated the Giants 17-9. (Greg Trott via AP)
New York Giants linebacker Devante Downs (52) sprints downfield on special teams coverage during an NFL game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Monday, Dec. 9, 2019, in Philadelphia. The Eagles defeated the Giants 23-17. (Al Tielemans via AP)
New York Giants linebacker Devante Downs (52) warms-up before an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Monday, Nov. 2, 2020, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
New York Giants linebacker Devante Downs (52) in action against the San Francisco 49ers during an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
New York Giants linebacker Devante Downs (52) sets up against the San Francisco 49ers during the third quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in East Rutherford, N.J. (Michael Owens via AP)
Devante Downs (52)
Devante Downs (52)
Devante Downs (52)
LB Devante Downs (52)
Devante Downs (52)
New York Giants linebacker Devante Downs (52) during a training camp practice at Quest Diagnostics Training Center on Sunday August 16, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
Devante Downs (52)
Devante Downs (52)
New York Giants linebacker Devante Downs (52) during a practice at the NFL football team's training camp in East Rutherford, N.J., Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
New York Giants linebacker Devante Downs (52) during a training camp practice at Quest Diagnostics Training Center on Friday August 21, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
Devante Downs (52)
Inside the Film Room: WR Kenny Golladay brings big play ability to offense
Check out the video below to watch Bob Papa and Super Bowl Champion Shaun O'Hara break down the film of new Giants wide receiver Kenny Golladay.
