For the second time in four years, the Cincinnati Bengals have taken a tight end with their first round selection. The Bengals became the first team to take a tight end in this year’s draft by selecting Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert with the 21st overall pick.
Eifert won the Mackey Award as college football’s top tight end last season over Stanford’s Zach Ertz and Washington’s Austin Seferian-Jenkins. At 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, Eifert is a more effective pass catcher than blocker.
The Bengals still have Jermaine Gresham under contract for two more seasons after taking him in the first round of the 2010 draft. The Bengals needed to add to their weapons on the offensive side of the ball. A.J. Green is one of the league’s best receivers but Cincinnati still was looking to find more options for quarterback Andy Dalton. While tight end may not have been the most pressing need, Eifert should help Cincinnati be more productive offensively next season.