NFL free agency 2019: Best tight ends available

4. Tyler Eifert (Cincinnati Bengals)

Of the five players on this list, it’s interesting to note that only Tyler Eifert is a former first-round draft choice. Back in 2013, the Cincinnati Bengals made him the 21st overall pick in the draft that year. The former Notre Dame standout figured to give quarterback Andy Dalton another option and one that could dominate the middle of the field. And when available, that’s exactly why the talented former Golden Domer was able to do.

Of course, the “staying healthy” part kept getting in the way. As a rookie, he started and played in all but one of the team’s 16 regular-season outings. Eifert finished the season with 39 catches, good for 445 yards and a pair of touchdowns. But the first of his numerous injuries occurred in his second season, when he played was lost in the season opener at Baltimore.

But the third year would be the charm for the 6-foot-6, 255 pound target. There would be 52 receptions for 615 yards and 13 scores on the way to being named to the Pro Bowl. But after playing in 13 games in ’15, Eifert has taken the field just 14 times the last three seasons combined. It’s added up to 48 catches for 619 yards and a half-dozen trips to the end zone — five of those scores in 2016. Last offseason, there was speculation that the franchise would not re-sign the oft-injured performer. Eifert inked a one-year deal and totaled 15 receptions for 179 yards and one TD in four outings. Can he still contribute to a team and stay on the field long enough to make a difference?