Tyler Eifert at #42?

[fishbanger]

I think he will be gone by then. I am OK with it if he falls although I rather draft S Elam.

[Digital]

Eifert has amazing body control and bend. His receiving window is ridiculously wide because he can reach back for a lot of balls thrown behind him.. With that said, I like Ertz catching the short 5 yd pass and driving for the extra 5 yards. Both players are very good but I like Eifert slightly more. Tight Ends usually are mocked too high around 18-20 and get drafted int he late 20s or early 30s. With so many QBs going last year the TEs got pushed back somewhat. I think this is a good crop and quite a few teams desperately need one. I do same many teams really need one every year though and they dont get overdrafted.

---------- Post added at 04:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:10 AM ----------



Falcons will be an obvious choice for one in Rd 1, but I wonder if they ignore the defense for one. I cant see that happening.

I agree with your analysis wholeheartedly.

Eifert is the Superman version of Dennis Pitta, IMHO. A big kid who uses his size well, gets open, is a fantastic catcher in traffic and in the red zone, has a wonderful blend of big WR/throwback TE. No, he isn't a RAC guy or a dominating blocker. But, he is a huge wingspan target with very good length despite a pedestrian lift and Anquan Boldin type vice-grip hands. I see him as essentially Anquan Boldin at 4" taller, 40 lbs. heavier, and much younger (7 or so years?) playing TE. What's not to like? He runs good routes and velcro's mis-thrown balls while outmuscling DB's and LB's. He is a huge target over the top running seam routes and dependably makes those catches in traffic that would otherwise result in disaster for his QB. He is a mismatch in the red zone and this was playing for a team that really didn't have a decent QB or even a plan-B option to catch the ball. Yeah, Eifert would make me ecstatic if we he were available at 42 and we drafted him.

That being said, if Ertz were available and picked at 42, I like him almost as much as Eifert. Ertz is the classic move TE, but lets face it, he's a lousy blocker. He improved his building blocks this year, but when running to his side, Ertz's guy often made the tackle and usually without much trouble shedding Ertz's block. The only area that Ertz really shines is that he is suprisingly light on his feet, quick, fast and has soft hands. I'll be shocked if Eifert's arms aren't longer than Ertz's though. When doing the Fleener comparison, I'd expect Ertz to give you about what you got from Fleener, but not quite as fast and a tad bulkier. IMHO, Fleener wasn't as impressive as expected last year, and the Colts seemed to be right picking Dwayne Allen ahead of him. That can't help Ertz's chances IMHO.