Draft Recap
Now this is the kind of draft a fantasy player can get excited about. With out having any glaring needs, the Bengals were able to take the best player available that gave to grab the most value for their first roundpick. They did just that, selecting tight end Tyler Eifert out of Notre Dame. Their second round pick was another great one, this time addressing an area of slight need with UNC running back Giovani Bernard. The rest of the draft they added depth to their Defense and O-Line.
Fantasy Impact
Eifert has a chance to be one of the top-5 fantasy performers out of this draft class, he is that talented. Adding the athletic tight end to the combination of A.J. Green and Jermaine Gresham will give Andy Dalton a great set of weapons to work with as the Red Rocket attempts to tale the next step on his developmental path. The addition of Eifert will benefit Green as the speedy tight end will draw coverage to the inside of the field, taking away the coverage that usually find it’s way to Green on the outside. While there is some worry that adding a new tight end in the mix will cut into Gresham’s work, there is plenty of room for a pair of productive tight ends in the new NFL.
Bernard has the chance to step in and be an immediate impact and possibly take over as the workhorse back early in the season. This guy has been compared to Ray Rice… and that guy is pretty good (Editor’s Note: and all this coming from a Steelers Fan!). I can see him having a season very similar to what we saw from Doug Martin last year. Needless to say, this is a guy who you should target in fantasy drafts. We will have to see how things pan out in training camp with competition from BenJarvis Green-Ellis and Bernard Scott, but expect the Law Firm to be splitting time with a new partner in Giovani Bernard by week 5.
None of the other draft picks will show immediate fantasy impact beyond adding depth on both sides of the football, but both Eifert and Bernard should be on your draft boards.
Draft Results
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | Tyler Eifert | TE | Notre Dame |
| 2 | 37 | Giovani Bernard | RB | UNC |
| 2 | 53 | Margus Hunt | DE | SMU |
| 3 | 84 | Shawn Williams | S | Georgia |
| 4 | 118 | Sean Porter | LB | Texas A&M |
| 5 | 156 | Tanner Hawkinson | G | Kansas |
| 6 | 190 | Rex Burkhead | RB | Nebraska |
| 6 | 197 | Cobi Hamilton | WR | Arkansas |
| 7 | 240 | Reid Fragel | TE | Ohio State |
| 7 | 251 | T.J. Johnson | C | South Carolina |