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Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer has the highest floor of any first-rounder in the 2023 NFL Draft
Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer has been lauded as a future NFL prospect since he was embarking on a season in which he was named an All-American as a true freshman in 2020. In the midst of said season, Mayer was coined the nickname “Baby Gronk” as a star was born very early on for the Irish. Mayer only grew as a player from there forward as he was awarded with being an All-American in back-to-back seasons (2021 and 2022). He finished off his college campaign in 2022 with 809 yards on 67 receptions and 9 scores.
The “Baby Gronk” nickname was always unfair, but Mayer has delivered as a constant in his college career. Mayer is set to come into the NFL as a player with a very high floor. There’s no secret of what his role will be as he enters the next level. Mayer is a natural Y tight end through and through. He’s not going to stun you with unbelievable physical tools, but the blend of ability to move bodies in the run game and to be a functional pass catcher makes him one of the safer tight end options in the 2023 NFL Draft.
2023 NFL Draft Selection
The Las Vegas Raiders traded up to select Michael Mayer with the No. 35 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. For full coverage of the Michael Mayer pick, head over to Silver & Black Pride.
Michael Mayer is going to be a coach’s best friend in the NFL
It’s a cliché phrase at its base, but, in the case of Mayer, it’s so true. Mayer understands every piece of intricacy to the game at the tight end position. He’s a dynamic blocker with even more potential to get better. Offensive line coaches will love him for what he will add as a sixth man at the end of the line of scrimmage. Tight end coaches will love him for how mature he will be before even entering the league. Tight end has traditionally been the biggest learning curve positionally for prospects entering the NFL, but Mayer is as ready as they will come.
Mayer’s hands are also very good for the position. He plays like a bear in the trenches and in the passing game as he attacks and engulfs the football. Mayer has done well in his career to slip by defenders on his way to stacking up the opposing defender to put them in conflict as he gets into his route stem. Mayer also has experience splitting out wide and having success as a receiver winning in contested situations and making himself an option against zone coverage — a little bit more versatility than you may think at first glance.
The questions about Michael Mayer’s upside are a fair game
For all of the positive talk about Mayer’s football IQ and polish coming out of college, there remains some question about his athleticism and upside as a receiving option. Nobody will confuse Mayer as a unicorn type of an athlete like Kyle Pitts or an insane body type the likes of a Darnell Washington in this class. Mayer’s size and athleticism are just, well, average. He does have production you like to see from a receiving standpoint, but it’s clear on tape that Mayer pinballs rather than truly making plays with the ball in his hands. He also has to work extremely hard to create any separation against true man-to-man or match coverage because of some heaviness to his feet when he has to suddenly change directions. All of these factors will drive questions about what kind of production he can have as a receiver in the NFL.
Mayer still has work to do as a run blocker, as well, continuing to polish his hand strikes into defenders instead of just throwing his body on some reps. His upside as a blocker is through the roof, but it’s not all the way there just yet. The blocking tape against Clemson (elite) versus the blocking tape against Ohio State (below average) show the stark blend he can have from a consistency standpoint at this stage.
How Michael Mayer measures up
As mentioned earlier, Mayer has an average profile from an athletic standpoint on tape and that profile matched up fairly well with his on-field workouts at the NFL Combine in March and at Notre Dame’s Pro Day.
40-yard dash: 4.70 seconds
Broad Jump: 9’10
Vertical Jump: 32.5”
20-yard shuttle (Pro Day): 4.44 seconds
3-Cone Drill (Pro Day): 7.26 seconds
What others are saying about Michael Mayer
The Athletic’s Nate Tice had this to say about Mayer:
Mayer might not have the athletic tools and length to make him a high-end mismatch nightmare, but he will be a quarterback’s best friend as a versatile auxiliary weapon and provide winning snaps as a blocker.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein offered his thoughts about Mayer as well:
Mayer might need to polish his route running to become a high-volume target, but he’s a safe pick and will be a good pro who can become a plus player as a run blocker and pass catcher.
Michael Mayer has a very high floor and could be one of the few tight end prospects that can contribute to a team at an above average level immediately. Some questions with Mayer still linger due to some lingering athletic questions in addition to some bad quarterback play that limited his production to an extent his final year in college. A team is going to sleep soundly at night if they select Mayer middle to late first round in the 2023 Draft.
