NFL: Cordarrelle Patterson, players sure to breakout in 2014

Tyler Eifert, TE Cincinnati Bengals

In 2013, the Cincinnati Bengals selected former Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert with the 21st overall pick, and he was quick to impress in his debut. The 6-foot-6 pass catcher snatched 39 receptions and 445 yards as a rookie, and the majority of that came as a secondary option, especially behind incumbent starter Jermaine Gresham. As the 2014 season opens, though, there seems to be a bit of a shift in personnel for the Bengals, and while Gresham is still on board, Eifert is receiving all kinds of buzz as the primary tight end for Andy Dalton‘s offense.

Because Cincinnati is blessed with an all-World wide receiver in A.J. Green and an emerging stud running back in Giovani Bernard, there may not be an overwhelming number of targets for Eifert, but the talent is very real. In his rookie year, Andy Dalton threw 59 passes in the direction of Eifert, but if that number were to jump to 100 or more (which seems incredibly reasonable), his production could skyrocket as he owns the middle of the field offensively. It will interesting to see if Dalton can sustain two top-flight targets, but with Green almost assuredly putting up massive numbers, Eifert could see a great deal of open space.