The Vikings placed Smith (knee) on injured reserve Wednesday, Eric Smith of the team's official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

Minnesota's pass-catching corps has been hammered by injuries in training camp and the preseason, but Smith's health concern seems to be the most serious. On Wednesday, he underwent a repair of his meniscus, which is accompanied by a 4-to-5-month recovery timeline. With Smith likely out for the season, the Vikings have gotten creative with the tight end room, trading for Chris Herndon from the Jets and claiming Ben Ellefson off waivers from the Jaguars. Herndon and Ellefson will join holdovers Tyler Conklin, the likely Week 1 starter, and Brandon Dillon.

Smith (knee) is expected to miss the entire 2021 season, as he's facing a recovery timeline of 4-to-5 months after Wednesday surgery to repair his meniscus, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

The hope for fantasy managers was that Smith would get a meniscectomy rather than a meniscus repair. The timeline associated with the latter procedure means any chance of him playing this season will perhaps hinge on Minnesota qualifying for the playoffs. For now, Smith's potential breakout is on hold, while the Vikings are left with Tyler Conklin, Brandon Dillon and recent trade acquisition Chris Herndon as their options at tight end. Conklin should get plenty of snaps Week 1 against Cincinnati.

Smith (knee) will have surgery this week to address a meniscus injury, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

EDGE Analysis

Mike Zimmer confirmed Monday that Smith will have surgery and miss the start of the regular season. The Vikings coach said he wouldn't know about a timeline until after the procedure, as is often the case with meniscus injuries. There's a chance it could be season-ending, per Chad Graff of The Athletic, but there's also a chance Smith is looking at something as favorable as a four-week timeline, according to Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com. A meniscus repair likely would rule him out for four months or longer, while a meniscectomy (removal of the torn portion) could allow for a return around Weeks 3-5. The Vikings expect Tyler Conklin (hamstring) to return to practice Monday, but Zimmer acknowledged the team's TE depth isn't good, per Graff.

Smith is expected to need a procedure to address a meniscus injury, which is expected to sideline the tight end for the start of the regular season, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

A firm timetable for Smith's return has yet to be outlined, but his anticipated absence would free up added snaps/touches for Tyler Conklin (hamstring), when healthy, as well as Brandon Dillon and Zach Davidson.

Smith caught both his targets for 39 yards in Friday night's 28-25 preseason loss to the Chiefs.

EDGE Analysis

Smith hauled in a 23-yarder from Kirk Cousins to begin his night, then put Minnesota in a first-and-goal situation with a 16-yard grab a few plays later. Heading into his third season, Smith seems poised for a larger role complementing wideouts Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, putting his stock on the rise in advance of Week 1's matchup against the Bengals.

Smith corralled one of two targets for three yards during Saturday's preseason loss to the Colts.

EDGE Analysis

Smith made his only marks in the box score during the Vikings' second possession of the game, which resulted in a three-and-out. And with Justin Jefferson (shoulder), Adam Thielen (thigh) and Tyler Conklin (hamstring) all banged-up, the team may opt to rest its starting offense in preseason Week 3 with the regular-season opener in mind. If so, Smith may not experience game action again until Week 1 in Cincinnati.

Smith had two touchdowns in practice Wedneday and his role in the red zone looks to expand this season, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Kyle Rudolph left in free agency in the offseason, which gives Smith an opportunity for a larger role. While head coach Mike Zimmer said earlier in the summer that Smith's role may stay the same and Tyler Conklin may be the one who gets a bigger boost in opportunity as the second tight end, it's possible that Smith takes over the red-zone role that Rudolph thrived in with 15 touchdowns between 2016 and 2017. However, Rudolph was 6-foot-6 and Smith is 6-foot-2, so the latter may not have the same efficiency. Smith's usage will be something to monitor in the preseason as he is well positioned for a Year 3 breakout in 2021.

Smith says dietary changes helped him get in better shape this offseason, Mark Inabinett of al.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The third-year pro made a strong impression on Vikings OC Klint Kubiak, who said Smith was in "phenomenal shape" when he showed up for the team's offseason program in May. Smith was only 20 years old when the Vikings made him a second-round pick in the 2019 draft, and he'll celebrate his 23rd birthday Aug. 9, one month before the start of the regular season. Given his age, draft status and Kyle Rudolph's offseason departure to New York, it's no wonder Smith is one of the popular breakout candidates at tight end this summer. Granted, he'll still be sharing an offense with RB Dalvin Cook and WRs Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, so even an every-down role won't necessarily lead to more than a handful of targets per game. Smith is anticipating a larger role, while Vikings coach Mike Zimmer believes backup tight end Tyler Conklin is the one who needs to step up. "Honestly, I don't think it's any bigger role for [Smith] whatsoever," Zimmer said. "I think it's a bigger role for Tyler Conklin."

Smith caught two of three targets for 30 yards during Week 17's 37-35 win over the Lions.

EDGE Analysis

Smith wraps up his second season with 30 catches (43 targets) for 365 yards and five touchdowns through 13 games. It's worth noting that the 22-year-old dealt with lingering groin and back issues during much of the 2020 season, missing three games entirely while having his snap count limited in three other contests. Considering that context, and the difficulty tight ends often face to develop early in their careers, Smith's relatively strong showing could result in his becoming a popular third-year breakout candidate for 2021. Of course, the fact that Kyle Rudolph remains under contract with Minnesota would seem to dampen Smith's possible upside.

Smith secured six of nine targets for 53 yards and two touchdowns in the Vikings' 52-33 loss to the Saints on Friday.

EDGE Analysis

The second-year tight end posted season highs in receptions and targets while also tying a personal best with his touchdown grabs of two and four yards in the third quarter. Smith has come on over the second half of the season, having recorded multiple grabs in five consecutive contests while also posting all five of his scoring catches during that stretch. The 2019 second-round pick will look to close out the season in strong fashion versus a Lions defense he found the end zone twice against back in Week 9 in a Week 17 rematch.