2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Michael Mayer

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Michael Mayer, 6-4/251 Tight End Notre Dame

Michael Mayer Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Pure football player

Excellent feel as a receiver

Knows how to separate

High points the ball well

Dangerous on contested catches

Red-zone weapon

Good hands

Reliable to make catches in traffic

Good height, weight

Willing to go across the middle

Effective as an underneath receiver

Dangerous run-after-the-catch ability

Presents a big target

Works the seam

Has the frame to be a blocker

Three-down starting potential

Weaknesses:

Does not have imposing size

Lacks elite speed

Decent, but not a great, athlete

Needs to improve as a blocker

Not overly physical in blocking

Could stand to show more desire as a blocker

Summary: The Fighting Irish had a nice run of tight end prospects for the NFL, and after losing Cole Kmet to the Chicago Bears, Mayer stepped onto the field and Notre Dame saw no drop off from Kmet. Mayer caught 42 passes for 450 yards and two touchdowns in 2020. As a sophomore, Mayer was even better, snatching 71 receptions for 840 yards and seven touchdowns in 2021. In his final season with the Fighting Irish, Mayer had 67 catches for 809 yards and nine touchdowns.

Mayer is a dangerous receiving tight end who is a good athlete with quickness, size, and natural instincts as a pure football player. As a receiver, Mayer has the potential to be a dangerous tight end who contributes well to an NFL passing attack. He has a well-rounded set of tools as a receiver to beat defenses in a variety of ways. Mayer has mismatch size and is very adept at going up to make contested catches over defenders. Mayer high points the ball well, and he has strong hands to control the ball while getting hit.

Mayer displays a nose for the end zone and should be an asset in the red zone, where he was very good at producing touchdowns in college. On top of good hands, Mayer has good feel as a route runner and knows how to separate. He gets open running down the seam, on crossing routes, and underneath. While Mayer does not have elite speed or athleticism, he is effective and is a pure football player.



After the catch, Mayer shows some special ability. He has a second gear to accelerate downfield while using his size to push through contact to continue his run. Mayer had the nickname of ‘Baby Gronk’ at Notre Dame, and while he is not as good as Rob Gronkowski after the catch, Mayer is a dangerous yards-after-the-reception tight end.

Mayer is solid as a blocker, but he has room for improvement for the NFL. He has the size to be effective, but he could stand to get stronger and improve his technique for helping to lock up NFL defensive ends. Pro coaching could help Mayer to get better with his technique, and early in his NFL career, Mayer could be a solid blocker who is a well-rounded three-down starter.

In the 2023 NFL Draft, Mayer could go as high as the back half of the first round. He probably won’t go lower than Round 2 during the 2023 NFL Draft.



Player Comparison: Mark Andrews. Mayer’s receiving ability reminds me of Andrews, who is one of the better receiving tight ends in the NFL.

2023 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2023 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M Adetomiwa Adebawore, DE, Northwestern Jordan Addison, WR, USC Will Anderson, DE, Alabama Felix Anudike-Uzomah, DE, Kansas State Steve Avila, G, TCU Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland Micah Baskerville, LB, LSU Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin Matthew Bergeron, OT, Syracuse Mekhi Blackmon, CB, USC Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU Brian Branch, S, Alabama Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson Chase Brown, RB, Illinois Sydney Brown, S, Illinois Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA Malik Cunningham, QB, Louisvile Gervon Dexter, DT, Florida Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina Max Duggan, QB, TCU Jaelyn Duncan, OT, Maryland Zach Evans, RB, Ole Miss Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Notre Dame Isaiah Foskey, DE, Notre Dame Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon Derick Hall, OLB, Auburn Jaren Hall, QB, BYU Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma Daiyan Henley, LB, Washington State Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU Broderick Jones, G, Georgia Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa Will Levis, QB, Kentucky Quan Martin, CB, Illinois Cody Mauch, G, North Dakota State Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame Will McDonald, DE, Iowa State Kenny McIntosh, RB, Georgia Tanner McKee, QB, Stanford Kendre Miller, RB, TCU Jonathan Mingo, WR, Ole Miss Cam Mitchell, CB, Northwestern Malachi Moore, S, Alabama Mike Morris, DE, Michigan Wanya Morris, OT, Oklahoma Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State Zion Nelson, OT, Miami B.J. Ojulari, OLB, LSU Demarvion Overshown, LB, Texas Owen Pappoe, LB, Auburn Jarrett Patterson, C, Notre Dame Clark Phillips, CB, Utah Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas Chris Rodriguez, RB, Kentucky Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas Noah Sewell, LB, Oregon Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan Nolan Smith, DE, Georgia Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota Tyler Steen, OT, Alabama Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee Joe Tippman, C, Wisconsin O'Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida Henry To'oTo'o, LB, Alabama Tuli Tuipulotu, DE, USC D.J. Turner, CB, Michigan Lukas Van Ness, DE, Iowa Deuce Vaughn, RB, Kansas State Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia Keion White, DE, Georgia Tech Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

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