Notre Dame’s Tyler Eifert Would Be The Prototypical Replacement For Tony Gonzalez

Nov. 17, 2012; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish tight end Tyler Eifert (80) catches a pass for a touchdown in the first quarter as Wake Forest Demon Deacons cornerback Kevin Johnson (9) defends in the first quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame won 38-0. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

The Falcons cannot go on forever, thinking Tony Gonzalez is going to come back one more year. They must take advantage of looking for his future replacement in this year’s draft.

There is not really a tight end that can be called a first round lock in this year’s draft, but in the second and third round there are a lot of good options for the Falcons to choose from.

You look at one of the top tier tight ends in this year’s draft, Notre Dame’s Tyler Eifert. Notre Dame has an enriched history of having successful tight ends in the NFL, and it looks like it won’t stop with Eifert.

The thing that stood out on Eifert was his versatility. Notre Dame played him a lot in the slot and on the outside. He showed playing in the slot that he can run routes fluidly for six foot six, 250 pound guy. On the outside, he showed that he can actually out beat corners with his speed and ability to make the jumping catch.

Could you imagine all of the plays that Dirk Koetter could make with the versatility of Eifert, along with having two of the best receivers in the league with Roddy White and Julio Jones? It would be an interesting idea to think about. Now the only way that would stop that idea from being a reality is him being off the board by the Falcons selection in either the first or second round.