Kyle Rudolph vs John Carlson

Kyle Rudolph is taking his talents to South Bea...er, the NFL. Our mighty tight end has decided the go pro, despite the injury questions raised by his most recent season with the Irish. However, with the money sitting on the table, the fear of an injury in his Senior year making said money vanish, and the emergence of the next Kyle Rudolph (Tyler Eifert), our red nosed TE has decided to make the leap. He's known, by many, to be the best available tight end coming into the draft this year, and I wish him all the best. 

You always wonder, though, how will he be in the NFL? To explore the issue, I thought it'd be fun to compare him with another recent fan favorite tight end who is currently in the NFL (and still alive in the playoffs, I might add, and while we're on the topic, I think the Seahawks will beat the Bears this weekend), to try and see what kind of lessons that can teach us. I bring you, Kyle Rudolph versus John Carlson.

Tale of the Tape:

Rudolph- 6'6, 258, from Cincy
Carlson- 6'5, 251, from St. Cloud

Analysis: You have to admit that the two TEs are pretty comparable in height and weight, although I think you're cooler if you're from St. Cloud, MN, don't you? Their nearly identical bodies may help with our prognostications.

Freshamn year:

Rudolph- 29 REC, 349 YDS, 2 TD
Carlson-  6 REC, 31 YDS, 0 TD

Analysis: The first thing to think about when comparing the two and their starts at ND is that John Carlson wasn't used all that much. Ty Willingham saw him as a basketball player from a basketball family who decided to play a little pigskin, and used him primarily as a blocker. Charlie Weis eventually decided to utilize him as the legitimate threat he was, and it worked out for all parties involved. Meanwhile, Rudolph walked in to a situation where the Irish wanted him to contribute right awat, and he did.

Sophomore year:

Rudolph- 33 REC, 364 YDS, 3 TD
Carlson- 7 REC, 56 YDS, 1 TD

Analysis: Does anyone else remember Carlson's first TD catch? They interviewed his parents in the stands, keeping in mind that his dad is a basketball coach, and his dad said, "It's nice, but I wish he chose basketball." It was priceless, but his dad didn't know that it was a glimpse into what would become an amazing college career. Meanwhile, Kyle Rudolph made a name for himself on the National level with his sophomore year. He averaged over 11 yards per catch, and at that early point in his career he became one of the premier TEs in the land.

Junior year:

Rudolph- 28 REC, 328 YDS, 3 TD
Carlson- 47 REC, 634 YDS, 4 TD

Analysis: Imagine what Rudolph's stat line would have finished at this year had it not been for the injury bug. I'd guess it would look more like Carlson's, but with more TDs (I'd say about 6). While John finally showed that he was a TE worth knowing in his breakout Junior year, Kyle was raising questions about leaving for the NFL early thanks to his skills (which he has obviously decided to do). 

Senior year:

Rudolph- N/A
Carlson- 40 REC, 372 YDS, 3 TD

Analysis: So, we don't get to watch Kyle come back for his Senior year, as he feels he has already proven himself enough. A solid final campaign probably would have only earned him more cash in the draft in 2012 (not to mention how it would have helped ND in 2011), but his fears of another season ending (and thus NFL career ending) injury were just too much. John Carlson didn't have much of a choice about coming back. Due to being underused his first two years, he had to prove that his explosive Junior campaign wasn't a fluke. He did that, and more, as he put himself on the lips of Mel Kiper with a stand out Senior year.

College Career:

Rudolph- 90 REC, 1,032 YDS, 8 TD
Carlson- 100 REC, 1,093 YDS, 8 TD

Analysis: Their careers at Notre Dame finish up pretty similarly, and the numbers only make me wish even more that Kyle would have stayed so that he could have become the greatest TE in recent memory without a doubt. Instead, they will draw close comparisons when we look back on things. While Kyle may be remembered more for the big plays, John will take pride in the fact that his work horse style will continue to be revered long after he makes a name for himself in the show.

Drafted:

Rudolph- Projected late 1st/early 2nd
Carlson- 2nd round, #38 overall

Analysis: It would seem that Kyle will be drafted in nearly the same place as John went when he came out. The early second round usually means you're going to a loser of a team, but that may not be a bad thing for young Kyle. Once again, all of us NFL/ND fans will be hoping and praying that a Notre Dame TE will end up on our team, only to see him go to a team that we hate. The early second round might not be the most glorious place to get drafted (or the most lucrative), but I think the decreased pressure of being picked later has helped John Carlson do well in Seattle, and it will hopefully lead to the same result for Rudolph wherever he lands.

NFL Career:

Rudolph- TBD
Carlson- 137 REC, 1,519 YDS, 13 TD

Analysis: Obviously we'll have to wait and see what Kyle Rudolph's NFL career will bring. But, I think it's a safe bet, if he stays healthy, that it will look similar to Carlson's start. In three seasons, John has averaged over 11 yards per catch, and for a TE in the NFL, that's pretty amazing. He's flown under the radar, but is off to the kind of start that will quietly build him a very, very good NFL career. We can only hope the same for the latest fan favorite TE to leave the Golden Dome.

So, if you could have either Kyle Rudolph or John Carlson in their collegiate prime playing for you at Notre Dame, who would you take? What about in their NFL prime?

-- Sent from my Palm Prē