2013 NFL Draft Picks: Power Ranking Best Playmakers Selected Through Round 2

The 2013 NFL draft has yielded several notable offensive playmakers through the first two rounds. Coincidentally, two of the wide receivers with the most upside were college teammates for one year, and the other wideout is unusually diminutive in stature.

With the increasing prominence of tight ends in the modern era of pro football, Notre Dame's Tyler Eifert has to be counted among the best offensive skill players in this class.

Here is a breakdown of the players who figure to be instant touchdown machines at the next level.

Note: Trade information courtesy of ESPN.

4. Tyler Eifert, TE, Cincinnati Bengals (Round 1, No. 21 overall)

Well look at this—there is a new No. 85 in Cincinnati. That's right: Ocho Cinco. Eifert has made the brave move to tout Chad Johnson/Ochocinco's former jersey number, as documented by the Bengals' official Twitter page:

Beyond how awesome that is, this was truly a strong pick for Cincinnati. The ex-Fighting Irish tight end has the capability to split out wide, block adequately and, of course, catch the football marvelously.

QB Andy Dalton needed more difference-makers at his disposal, and he got an invaluable asset. Especially in Jay Gruden's West Coast offense, Eifert will have ample opportunities to shine.

Eifert will be paired in two tight end sets with Jermaine Gresham. Bengals opponents will always have to account for those two, A.J. Green on the outside and now even the dangerous rookie RB Giovani Bernard coming out of the backfield.

This offense needs more big plays, and with Eiffert's ability to stretch the field and flash in the red zone in particular, the Bengals should continue on the upswing in the AFC North.

3. Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee Titans (Round 2, No. 34 overall)

The former Volunteer stays in-state for his NFL destination, and will form an explosive combination with QB Jake Locker.

There is a reason that the Titans gave up a 2014 third-round choice to take Hunter. At 6'4" and 200 pounds with a 40.5" vertical leap, there is legitimate No. 1 potential here. ESPN's Chris Mortensen notes that many scouts he talked to compared Hunter to Cincinnati Bengals star A.J. Green.

GM Ruston Webster further justified the pick to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean:

Hunter has the speed to be a deep threat, and the wide catching radius to be a massive threat in the red zone. If Kenny Britt can overcome his injury issues, this could be an absolutely ridiculous wide receiver combo.

Locker will also have Kendall Wright at his disposal on the inside—a 2012 first-round pick. There are no more excuses, as Locker enters his third year as the unquestioned man under center.

There is no question that Hunter can have an immediate impact. As long as he puts on a little bit more weight and catches a bit more effectively with his hands, he may even have a higher ceiling than his highly touted Tennessee Vols teammate Cordarrelle Patterson.

2. Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Minnesota Vikings (Round 1, No. 29 overall)

The only thing that separates Patterson from Hunter in terms of playmaking ability—and they're really close in that regard—is Patterson's explosiveness as a returner.

As dangerous as Hunter is in the open field, Patterson's seamless change of direction and superior strength makes him nearly impossible to corral.

Picking up a pro-style offense may be difficult for Patterson, especially since he only had one year of experience facing SEC-level competition. However, it was a year to remember, as Patterson displayed an ability to score from anywhere on the field.

Whether it's on special teams, on the outside, in the slot or from the backfield, there are so many ways Minnesota can get the ball to their new playmaker. Football Outsiders' Matt Waldman even rated Patterson as the best pure ball-carrier in the class—ahead of running backs:

Patterson is essentially a bigger and stronger type of player that Percy Harvin was for the Vikings.

It's worth noting that Harvin came from a purely spread system and was primarily a running back, but was able to blossom into an effective No. 1 receiver. Patterson has the talent to do the same.

GM Rick Spielman paid the New England Patriots second-, third-, fourth- and seventh-round selections to snag Patterson with a third first-round choice.

It's a bold, risky move, but if Patterson is a hit, Christian Ponder has an outstanding new weapon to utilize in an effort to bolster the league's worst pass defense from 2012.

1. Tavon Austin, WR, St. Louis Rams (Round 1, No. 8 overall)

So he's only 5'8" and 174 pounds, but Austin plays more physically than his size indicates, and it's nearly impossible to get a clean hit on him. If size and durability were a concern, Austin would not have caught over 100 passes in each of his final two years of college.

Sports Illustrated's Peter King walked away from Austin in disbelief over his sturdiness when he met him in person in New York City:

Austin is similarly gifted as Patterson—except he has slightly more straight-line speed, superior lateral quickness and agility and is a far more polished route runner.

Although QB Sam Bradford had to dislike seeing Danny Amendola depart in free agency, GM Les Snead may have gotten his franchise signal-caller an upgrade by trading up to the No. 8 spot with the Buffalo Bills.

On the turf of the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, it's possible that Austin will invoke memories of the Greatest Show on Turf days with star quarterback Kurt Warner and his electric supporting cast.

That surface should allow Austin to be an absolute blur in the open field, and continue to be a home-run threat at the NFL level.