When tight end Tony Gonzalez was considering retirement, the Atlanta Falcons began to consider searching for someone to take his place. However, when he announced his return, it was assumed the Falcons would switch their draft focus to defense. General manager Thomas Dimitroff is still considering finding someone in the first round to be the heir to the Gonzalez throne and Tyler Eifert might just be the player.
Combing a first round tight end like Eifert with a future hall-of famer could be extremely productive for the Falcons. Gonzalez caught 93 passes last season and while he is still in the best shape of his life, he could easily benefit from sharing the load with someone else. Notre Dame's Eifert and Stanford's Zach Ertz are considered the two best tight ends in the draft and will go in the first round.
Eifert is the type of player that shows a large amount of NFL potential. He led Notre Dame in receiving during his junior year, catching 50 passes for 685 yards and four touchdowns. He earned the Mackey Award as the nation's best tight end. His sophomore year was even better when he coach 63 passes for 803 yards and five touchdowns. Eifert also excels in blocks something that Atlanta considers crucial for their offense schemes.
Many draft experts peg Eifert as the better tight end over Ertz. He has shown better speed and is a natural pass catcher. He runs better in traffic are rarely drops the ball when targeted by the quarterback. Rotating in with Gonzalez could give the Falcons with another top receiving tandem like Julio Jones and Roddy White.
Atlanta will draft at No. 30 overall and at least one of those two players will be gone by then. This is the potential dilemma for Dimitroff. While the general manager has proven he is not afraid to give up a little and trade up for a player, a tight end might not be worth it considering the still have Gonzalez for one more year.
If Atlanta decides to not trade up and get either tight end, there are still quality players that will be around in later rounds. Former Tennessee Mychal Rivera is an option for the Falcons. Dimitroff likes to draft SEC players and Rivera has the same build as Gonzalez. Rivera is considered a sleeper in this year's draft class, but his athleticism and versatility could really be a benefit for Atlanta.
The Falcons will draft a tight end, the question just becomes in which round. Dimitroff knows that Gonzalez will retire after this year and they need someone that can spend time learning under one of the best all-around receivers in the game.
