ICYMI: What Tyler Eifert Brings to the Bengals
November 24, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish tight end Tyler Eifert (80) misses catching a pass against the defense of Southern California Trojans safety
Josh Shaw(26)during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Instead of vying for one of the top safeties at pick No. 21, the Cincinnati Bengals selected Tyler Eifert. So what does that mean?
It simply means that the Bengals decided none of the safeties available were worthy of their middle pick, once Kenny Vaccaro of Texas was selected by the New Orleans Saints. Therefore, Cincinnati did the next best thing in selecting the value pick at that time.
And so the former Notre Dame TE finds himself in Bengals stripes as he prepares for 2013, and here’s why we should look forward to that fact.
Eifert played a crucial role in Notre Dame’s BCS Championship berth last year, even though they loss badly to Alabama.
The TE brings with him a 6 foot, 6 inch frame, and his size led him to be targeted in the end zone nine more times than any other ND receiver, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Another trait that Eifert has is his good hands. I know that sounds like a pretty basic trait for any football player. However, Eifert’s hands are not to be underestimated in any way.
Maybe they just come with his build. Maybe it’s just effective training. Whatever the case, he plays like he has two rolls of double-sided tape for hands. Check out his highlight reel if you don’t believe me. His catches in traffic require multiple double-takes.
Still another upside that we learned from the discussion at the NFL Draft was his strong blocking ability, as he can match up to a linebacker fairly well with 250 pounds under his belt and decent acceleration.
Eifert is one of the Tight-Ends that can do it all, which is part of the reason he was the No. 1 ranked TE in the Draft. He will provide a very nice blend of attack with Jermaine Gresham on the other side, and could help the Bengals set up some new offensive schemes.
Any way you look at it, a smart pick by Cincinnati.
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