"With 2009 Pro Bowler Visanthe Shiancoe among three veteran tight ends on their roster, the Vikings did not enter this year's NFL draft eager to supplement the position. They also did not anticipate top-rated Notre Dame's Kyle Rudolph to still be available in Friday night's second round when the team selected him 43rd overall. Rudolph, an athletic and talented receiver, was disappointed at being passed over in the first round. Teams clearly were cautious about his serious hamstring injury, which required surgery in October and wrecked his junior season with the Fighting Irish. Rudolph insists he is fully recovered, and he passed tests the Vikings' medical staff conducted. So he joins Shiancoe, Jim Kleinsasser and Jeff Dugan in the Minnesota tight end corps. "It was something I got it fixed over six months ago. By the time my pro day came around it was 100 percent," he said. "The MRI shows it's 100 percent healed. All the doctors dug and pounded on it, and they couldn't find anything. "I was under the impression more likely than not that I would go yesterday, but my dream's come true. I'm in the NFL now. I'm just excited to be a Viking."" Read more: http://www.twincities.com/vikings/ci_17961764?nclick_check=1
