Michael Mayer is a former five-star high school recruit out of Independence, Kentucky, who chose to attend Notre Dame over the likes of Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State. Mayer was a heavily recruited prospect after being named the Kentucky high school football player of the year having recorded 970 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior.
Mayer now heads for the 2023 NFL draft with back-to-back seasons of over 800 receiving yards for the Fighting Irish, and is undoubtedly one of the most natural pass catching tight ends in the class.
Michael Mayer was an immediate contributor at Notre Dame with 42 receptions as a freshman for 450 yards and two touchdowns. The following season he jumped to 71 receptions for 840 yards and 7 TDs, and as a junior he passed 800 yards once again finishing the year on 809 yards and a career high 9 TDs.
Mayer finished his collegiate career with a reception in every single game he played, totaling 36 consecutive games with at least one catch. His nine touchdowns as a junior in what would be his final season with the Irish set a new record for the school amongst tight ends. The record was previously set by Mayer the previous year with the 7 TD’s he caught in his sophomore season.
Having been named a Third Team All-American in 2021, he improved his national recognition the following season when he was named a consensus First-Team All-American before declaring for the draft.
Mayer is now third all-time on the school’s receptions list, catching his 180th ball against USC in his final game for the Irish.
Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer projects as a comfortable pass catcher at the next level. He can provide a safe option over the middle of the field in just about any NFL offense, with proven production in various situations in college.
Mayer has good short yardage agility for a player of his size. He’s shown on tape that he can throw a defender off by feinting one way before shooting inside for quick catches in the red zone. While he doesn’t always create major separation, he has the strength at the catch point to bring down passes despite having a trailing defender on his back.
As a pass catcher, Mayer is one of the best in this year’s tight end class. His college production proves his reliability at the position, with natural hands and a very strong showcase of his ability to track the football downfield.
Mayer shows great concentration in the pass game, and adjusts to the football well whether it’s downfield for a first down or in the endzone for a TD.
While the Notre Dame talent offers a safe option over the middle of the field, he is somewhat limited by his length when it comes to a potential catch radius. His high point is below average for a player of his size, standing six-foot-four and 250 pounds.
Mayer’s ability to defeat coverage and find open space will work in his favor, and he can certainly beat the first man on occasion, but his creativity as a ball carrier doesn’t extend much beyond that. He’s a stocky tight end whose best work comes in closely contested catches and the threat he offers in the red zone.
His ability as a run blocker is steady, often acting as a lead blocker at Notre Dame, which makes him a viable option for several NFL teams looking for a starting tight end.
Overall, Mayer projects as a late day one or early day two prospect, who will likely start the majority of his rookie season and see a good number of targets early in his career.
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions traded a talented tight end midway through the 2022 season, allowing T.J. Hockenson to move on to the Minnesota Vikings in a surprising move.
They are left with Brock Wright as the current projected starter, a tight end who caught just 24 footballs all season last year despite Hockenson’s departure.
Michael Mayer’s ability to serve in both the pass and the run game gives him the opportunity to be on the field early and often, which would likely see him win the starting job in Detroit.
The Lions have a great group of weapons in their receiving room, led by Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, but are missing a big body option for Jared Goff over the middle of the field.
If Mayer falls into day two the Lions could look to replace the tight end they traded less than a year earlier, and add another weapon to their high volume offense.
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers current tight end situation has to mean they’re in the market for a solution in the draft. Veteran Mercedes Lewis is no longer on the roster leaving the current starter as Josiah Deguara who had just 13 receptions in 2022.
With Green Bay looking to reform their offense around a young Jordan Love, safe passing options over the middle of the field are going to be crucial to his success early on. So the fact that they don’t currently have a big body that can offer that outlet is a problem, and one many will expect to see corrected at the draft.
The Packers should definitely be looking into the tight end market in what is a deep class at the position, and Michael Mayer offers one of the best solutions for their offense.
Pro’s
- Natural pass catcher
- Tracks the ball really well
- Safety valve
- High production in college
- Redzone threat versus single coverage
Con’s
- Catch radius
