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Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer is largely viewed as a first-round talent ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. Mayer had an illustrious career as a three-year starter at Notre Dame, who has produced some stud tight ends in years past.
The tight end position has evolved mightily over the last decade, but Mayer could be more of a throwback tight end with real size and run-blocking acumen.
Let's dive into Mayer's prospect profile and some early potential landing spots.
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Who Is Michael Mayer?
Mayer was a five-star recruit out of the state of Kentucky and had offers from a ton of Power-5 schools, but eventually landed at Notre Dame. In his freshman season with the Irish, Mayer caught 42 passes for 450 yards and two touchdowns. It's worth noting he only started four games, as he shared a position room with Carolina Panthers tight end, Tommy Tremble, and Detroit Lions tight end, Brock Wright.
As a sophomore, Mayer caught 71 passes for 840 yards and seven touchdowns, earning third-team All-American honors at 20 years old. In his final season as a junior, Mayer became a consensus All-American, catching 67 passes for 809 yards and nine touchdowns. At tight end, two 800-plus-yard seasons at just age-21 is elite production.
In just year 3, he broke Tyler Eifert's record for receptions among tight ends in Notre Dame history. He also passed Will Fuller, Golden Tate, and Chase Claypool for all-time receptions among Irish pass-catchers. Needless to say, he had an impressive career that rivaled many players that have played for the historic program.
That said, he likely won't blow anyone away with his speed at the NFL combine and is more of a traditional tight end, but he has a well-established record of getting open and racking up yards.
2023 NFL Teams In Need of a Tight End
Some notable teams who need a tight end are the Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Giants, Washington Commanders, Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, Houston Texans, and Detroit Lions.
However, some wild cards to target a tight end are the Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers, and Miami Dolphins. That set of teams either has an unproven tight end or will decline to bring back the current starter at tight end. Most notably, the futures of Hayden Hurts, Evan Engram, Dalton Schultz, Gerald Everett, and Mike Gesicki hang in the balance, so it wouldn't be surprising if those teams look for a new player at the position next season.
What NFL Team Could Pick Mayer?
By the time the NFL Draft rolls around, we'll know which tight ends have signed elsewhere in free agency, but for now, all we can do is predict what could happen.
The Detroit Lions (pick 19), Los Angeles Chargers (pick 21), Jacksonville Jaguars (pick 24), New York Giants (pick 25), Dallas Cowboys (pick 26), and Cincinnati Bengals (pick 28) are all in position to take Mayer should he slip past the top-15 selections. As of now, Mayer is projected to go anywhere from the top-2o to all the way into the second round, so it's tough to know exactly what his range of outcomes is.
Ultimately, those six teams could be looking to upgrade the position and that range of picks is the safest bet at this point in the process. Mayer could be the final piece on some of those ascending offenses, as he's a real asset in the rushing and passing attacks for an offense.
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