Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert solidified himself as the top tight end prospect on the board, and one of the best all-around tight ends in recent draft memory. It wouldn't be a shock to learn the Steelers have interest in the 6-foot-5, 250-pounder, in wake of Heath Miller's injury.
Don't be surprised if the Steelers spend some time with Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert at the NFL Combine.

It's not common for the Steelers to draft a back-up to their team MVP from the previous season in the first round, but it isn't any more common to find a tight end with Eifert's speed (4.68 40) and size (6-foot-5, 250 pounds, 9 1/8 inch hands).
In what could be a classic example of drafting the best player available, Eifert could be on the board at 17, and it seems likely at least one scout would be clamoring for one of the surest prospects in the draft.

What would that say about tight end Heath Miller, the man who earned a Pro Bowl berth and led the team in receiving this past season? Absolutely nothing. Stepping past for a second the likelihood of Miller starting the year on the physically unable to perform list due to a knee injury he suffered in Week 17, having two players as big and as athletic as Miller and Eifert would fit wonderfully in the Steelers' offense.

Eifert, like any rookie, would need some seasoning, but the Steelers currently only have second-year David Paulson healthy and under contract for 2013. While it's not a guarantee Miller won't play this year, judging by the 2012 season of running back Rashard Mendenhall - who suffered the same ACL tear as Miller did late in the 2011 season - it's hard to say Miller will be the same player from the start.

But looking ahead to 2014, with Miller at 100 percent, and Eifert having a year to develop even more, they could rival anyone in terms of talent at the increasingly important tight end position. It would also be a cheaper alternative to their current lack of wide receivers, giving veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger two large targets in which to throw quick-release passes to all over the field.
Eifert's outstanding Combine performance solidifies him as one of the best all-around tight end prospects seen in the draft in recent memory.