NFL Draft Rumors: Where Could Kyle Rudolph Go in Round 2 of NFL Draft?

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NFL Draft Rumors Ponder the Fortunes of Notre Dame Tight End Kyle Rudolph

Few players saw their draft stock rise and fall via NFL Draft rumors quite as often as Notre Dame tight end Kyle Rudolph.

Coming into the 2010-11 season, Rudolph was a consensus first round pick, with the size, speed and hands to make some team very happy. But then, disaster struck. A hamstring injury caused him to miss the last seven games of the season, and Rudolph's stock dropped considerably. Could he stay healthy in the pros?

Now, after sliding with relative ease through the first round of the draft (as almost everyone figured he would), many have Rudolph pegged as a second or third round sleeper. But, where will he land?

There are plenty of teams who could use a player with Rudolph's skill set. He's big, strong, and fast, with solid skills blocking in both the passing and running games.

Must Read: 2011 NFL Draft Results: Grades and Results for All 32 First Round Picks.

But, what really sets the rangy tight end apart are his receiving skills. He was the leading receiver for the Irish through the first six weeks of the season in 2010, and has better hands than many wideouts in this year's draft.

If you don't think there are teams who could use him, you're kidding yourself. Buffalo, Arizona, Atlanta, Denver and the New York Giants all need a tight end, and all of them (save Atlanta, who mortgaged their draft for Julio Jones) pick in the second round.

While there's a slim chance Rudolph makes a full second trip through the draft order, I think he get snapped up in the early portion of the second round.

Tight ends with his skill set are a hard thing to come by, and he's going to be fully healthy in time for training camp. Look for someone (be it Denver, or Arizona) to use their second round pick on this rangy tight end, and get one of the bigger steals of the draft so far.

He's got the talent to be a star, and can contribute right away. For Arizona (the most likely taker), he represents a huge upgrade at the position, and a productive receiver in the middle of the field for them going forward. At the absolute worst, I see the Giants grabbing him and throwing to him constantly next season, which doesn't sound so bad, now does it?

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