Giants activate Kyle Rudolph off PUP list, what does he bring to the offense?

Nov 17, 2019; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph (82) looks on before the start of a game against the Denver Broncos at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Berding-USA TODAY Sports

One of the major benefits that tight end Kyle Rudolph brings to the New York Giants is his abilities in the red zone. The Giants ranked 31st last year in points scored per game with 17.5, and adding a big body for Daniel Jones to target in scoring positions is essential.

The Giants’ red zone scoring percentage also ranked 31st in the league at 46.34%. Rudolph, who is one of the most dependable TEs in the NFL when it comes to catching the football, should offer a security blanket on short-yardage routes. Rudolph has only dropped one pass since the 2018 season, playing in 92 of 96 games.

Impressively, 40 of Rudolphâ€™s 48 career touchdowns came in the red zone, which points to an obvious injection of talent in an area the Giants desperately needed to upgrade.

Thankfully, there is optimism Rudolph could be ready for Week 1 of the regular season against the Denver Broncos.

Per the Giants:

Tight end Kyle Rudolph has passedÂ his physicalÂ and will return to practice, though certainly on a very limited basis.

Rudolph had been rehabilitating from a foot injury, diagnosed as Lisfranc. Normally, this injury can keep players out for a significant amount of time, but he has made tremendous progress in his rehabilitation. If he can ramp up in time and participate in team drills this week, Rudolph could find himself earning a small sample size of reps against Denver.

Luckily, the Giants already have Evan Engram and Kaden Smith but did watch Levine Toilolo go down with a torn Achilles earlier this off-season. Nonetheless, if Rudolph started the season on the PUP list, he wouldâ€™ve automatically missed the first six games of the season, so this is a major development, but he passed his physical and is ready to re-join the team.