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Former Minnesota Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr. has reached an agreement to join the Cincinnati Bengals, so he'll play in an offense with Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd in 2023.
The 2019 second-round selection out of Alabama has flashed upside throughout his young career, but he's dealt with major injuries over the last two seasons.
How has Smith performed early in his career and what is his 2023 fantasy outlook as a new member of the Bengals offense? Let's dive in.
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Irv Smith Jr. Career Review
As a rookie and sophomore in 2019 and 2020, Smith totaled 66 receptions for 676 yards and seven touchdowns playing alongside Kyle Rudolph. When the team moved on from Rudolph before the 2021 season, Smith was expected to fully break out and have a TE1 season.
However, Smith underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in early September of 2021 and never played during that season. In 2022, Smith caught 25 of his 36 targets for 182 yards and two touchdowns, but after he suffered an ankle injury in Week 8, the Vikings traded for Detroit Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson.
Hockenson would go on to dwarf Smith's production, so the writing was on the wall and the team decided to move on from him after the Wild Card loss to the New York Giants.
Irv Smith Jr. 2023 Fantasy Football Outlook
While Smith should see a situation upgrade in a high-powered Bengals' offense, he will need to survive being replaced in the 2023 NFL Draft. There are plenty of mock drafts that have the Bengals selecting a rookie TE like Michael Mayer or Dalton Kincaid, which would completely tank his value and outlook.
If he enters Week 1 as the starting tight end, he'll be a solid late-round dart throw in 2023 fantasy drafts. Hayden Hurst just posted a TE21 season for Cincinnati, despite all the target competition. Smith could see a similar level of production, but he could also have a season like Gerald Everett, who finished as the TE13 in 2022. Everett was a risky player to draft last season since Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen, and Mike Williams were ahead of him in the target pecking order, but he benefited from being with a young star QB.
All it takes is an injury or two for Smith to become a top-three option in the Bengals offense, meaning he'd have excellent touchdown and volume upside. It's unlikely he'll produce a high-end TE1 season, but if he can post solid TE2 numbers, he'll be a bargain for 2023. Again, he only comes into play if Cincinnati doesn't draft a tight end early in April.
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