NEW YORK -- The Cincinnati Bengals' offense, often too predictable last season, just got a lot tougher to defend. The Bengals selected Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert with the No. 21 overall pick of the 2013 NFL Draft Thursday night.
NFL '13 DRAFT XTRA
Follow on your smartphone or tablet for exclusive content including live video from Radio City Music Hall.
Eifert was one of the "cleanest" prospects in the draft. He was clearly the best tight end, a talented pass catcher who can line up all over the formation. In today's NFL, you need at least one pass-catching tight end. Now the Bengals have a scary, two tight end attack by combining Eifert and an underrated all-around option in Jermaine Gresham.
Gresham, who was taken at No. 21 overall three years ago, complements Eifert well. Gresham is a better blocker with great hands, but he doesn't test the seams of a defense. Eifert can get vertical and essentially looks like the Bengals' No. 2 receiver behind wideout A.J. Green.
The Bengals' offense was far from explosive last year, and they just added the second most explosive playmaker in this draft behind West Virginia receiver Tavon Austin (selected No. 8 overall by the St. Louis Rams). Somewhere, quarterback Andy Dalton and Green are smiling.