Michael Mayer, TE Notre Dame: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Mayer was a four-star recruit from Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Ky. in the class of 2020

Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer entered the year as the consensus top tight end and a projected first round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. However, based on recent evaluations, he could be the third or fourth tight end off the board.

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Michael Mayer, TE Notre Dame: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Junior tight end from Independence, Ky.

Background: Mayer was a four-star recruit from Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Ky. in the class of 2020. He was the No. 32 recruit (five-star) according to 247Sports, No. 36 for Rivals, and No. 34 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 81st in the nation with an 84 grade out of 100. Mayer was the 2019-20 Kentucky Gatorade Football Player of the Year. That season, he tallied 49 receptions for 970 yards and 15 touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns on offense. Mayer also produced 102.5 tackles, 1.5 sacks, four interceptions, and a defensive touchdown as a linebacker. He led Covington Catholic to the Kentucky 5A State Championship in 2019 and was the title game MVP. Mayer earned 2019 Kentucky Football Coaches Association Mr. Football and 5A District 5 Player of the Year honors. He was selected to the 2020 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. His brother, AJ Mayer, played quarterback at Miami (OH) and Arkansas State.

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed 2021 Virginia Tech game with a hip adductor strain

Awards: 2020 Third-Team All-ACC, 2021 Third-Team All-American, 2022 First-Team All-American

Pros: Experience lining up in-line, out wide, and in the slot, some nifty footwork early in release to freeze defender, footwork in his release package and early in the route is excellent, nice lateral hop in his release package, uses hands to combat press coverage, fakes a block before slipping into an open hole in zone, makes catches with defenders in his face and space, extends to make catches outside his frame, ball skills, strong base for run blocking, plays with good initial leverage as a run blocker, play strength to collapse slanting defensive ends, nice reps in the run game vs. Myles Murphy (2022), thump power to move defensive ends off the line of scrimmage, climbs to the second level to seal linebackers, easily seals linebackers, easily corrals and eliminates DBs as a blocker

Cons: Minimal special teams experience, seven drops in the past two years, six penalties in the past two years, arm length is short for a tight end, weighed under 250 lbs. at the NFL Combine, lacks long speed, routes are more rounded than sharp, defenders can crowd and sit on his route, doesn’t threaten defenses vertically, doesn’t separate from man coverage up the seam, doesn’t maintain acceleration going into or out of cuts, lacks the dynamic athleticism to create after the catch, doesn’t make defenders miss in space, doesn’t break many tackles with power, benefited from some schemes touches, doesn’t consistently clamp when blocking which limits his ability to sustain blocks, should attempt to latch and drive more often, arm length was an issue trying to block Trenton Simpson (2022), instances where he struggles to mirror the defender as the lead blocker on outside screens, not sturdy enough to anchor against bull rushes, occasionally ducks his head into contact and lunges as a blocker

Overview: Mayer took official measurements at the NFL Combine. He’s 6044 and weighs 249 lbs. He has 9 4/8-inch hands, 31 5/8-inch arms, and a 76 2/8-inch wingspan. Mayer has experience lining up in-line, out wide, and in the slot. He has nifty footwork early in his release that freezes defenders or forces them to open their hips prematurely. His footwork at the line of scrimmage and early in his route is fantastic. He even has some lateral hop in his release package. Mayer uses his hands to combat press coverage and battle through contact. The junior has excellent ball skills that help him consistently make contested catches. He also extends for catches outside his frame. Mayer has a strong base for run blocking. He blocks with good initial leverage. The former four-star recruit has the play strength to collapse slanting defensive ends and occasionally knocks edge rushers off the line of scrimmage. Mayer climbs to the second level and has no issue sealing linebackers or displacing defensive backs. However, he doesn’t consistently clamp when engaged with a defender, which limits his ability to sustain blocks. His limited arm length prevents him from getting into the bodies of more physically gifted players. Mayer failed to mirror the defender as a lead blocker on outside screens several times in 2022. He’s not sturdy enough to anchor against bull rushes or speed to power. The tight end occasionally ducks his head and lunges into contact. He carries minimal special teams experience from college to the NFL. Mayer has short arms and weighed in at under 250 lbs. at the NFL Combine, which is below the ideal weight for a prospect with his play style. He lacks the long speed to threaten defenses vertically. The Kentucky native’s routes are more rounded than sharp, and he doesn’t separate from man coverage. Defenders are comfortable sitting on and crowding his routes. Mayer lacks the dynamic athleticism to generate separation or maintain his speed going into or out of sharp cuts. He doesn’t offer much after the catch.

Overall, Mayer is a well-rounded tight end who offers immediate upside as an above-average blocker. Unfortunately, he lacks the athleticism to generate separation against man coverage and create after the catch. Mayer has a safe floor but low ceiling compared to his fellow 2023 tight ends.

Role & Scheme Fit: In-line Y TE1 with slot versatility

Round Projection: Second Round

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 03-28-23