The 2023 NFL Draft takes place April 27-29 this year, emanating LIVE from Kansas City, Missouri. As it stands, the Tennessee Titans have one first round draft pick. New general manager Ran Carthon and head coach Mike Vrabel currently hold the 11th overall selection. Over the next couple of months, I’ll be taking a look at some of the prospects who are either rumored to be tied to, have met with, who make sense for the Titans, or who are for some reason being mocked to the Titans even though they don’t really have a need at the position. Whatever – there are no rules here. Today, we’re lookin’ at Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer.
Let’s dip our toes into the tight end pool for the first time this draft season, shall we? I think the Titans could be in the market for an addition at tight end…hell, maybe even multiple additions at tight end. They have the dynamic receiver in Chig Okonkwo. But, they could use the inline blocker, and really, they could use the more complete not-going-to-tip-what-this-play-is-going-to-be type too. This year’s NFL Draft class has both in spades. To me, it comes down to two guys if you’re thinking about taking a tight end in the first round – Mayer and Georgia’s Darnell Washington. I plan to write about both guys, but we’re here to talk about Mayer today.
Mayer was absolutely pivotal to the success of the Notre Dame offense during his time there. I feel like he’s been the consensus TE1 in this draft class for the last eight years. He was a consensus All-American in 2022, a season during which he topped the Notre Dame record books as the tight end with the most receptions in school history (passing Tyler Eifert). He caught 67 balls in 2022, turning it into 809 yards and nine touchdowns. But, it was more of what he meant to the offense than it was production for me. He was the key cog there – run-blocking, contested catches, seam routes. At times, it felt as though he was the only thing in that offense working.
So, let’s get into his strengths. I feel like ‘good blocker’ is a death knell for a tight end’s ceiling in 2023. If you’re known as a blocker, well, you must just not be good at the other aspects of playing tight end. Maybe it’s true in some instances, but I’ll tell you hwhut…Mayer has the size, frame, drive, and pop to effectively be a sixth offensive lineman. It is so impressive. I think that’s all they had Mayer do in the Ohio State game this past season. He had five catches for just 32 yards in that game, but this game is a key indicator of his value to an offense. The stat line doesn’t look that great, but when you watch how involved he was in blocking, and how Notre Dame was able to control that game early on, in part, because of how they were able to run the ball and play defense, you see Mayer’s true impact.
As a receiver, he has a pretty complete game. He has sure, sticky hands, and he looks natural catching the ball. I thought he was particularly lethal when he could line up inline, and then split defenders up the seam. He has the hops to go up and get the ball. His size and frame make him incredibly difficult to defend throughout his route and at the point of the catch, and that’s what makes him capable of lining up outside and bullying whoever has to cover him.
Concerns would obviously be the speed. People say it about him, seemingly without thinking, but it shows up on tape as he’s not regularly running past guys. He’s not the most elusive in the open field. But, let’s circle back to what exactly the Titans need out of the tight end position – it’s not speed. It’s not elusiveness. They have that in spades with Okonkwo. To have a guy who can do a little bit of everything on the field with him in two tight end sets sounds pretty nice to me.
I get the play style comparisons with Rob Gronkowski and Jason Witten. But, when you’re talking about some of the greats of their generation, it makes me cringe a bit. I don’t like doing that. When I told him I was evaluating Mayer for a report this week, Zach Lyons of Stacking The Inbox sent me a text that read, “oh – you mean Heath Miller?” While I think there’s more upside with Mayer (he could see a Witten-esque ceiling), Miller is actually a pretty dead spot-on comparison. Ultimately, I think #11 is going to be a little too high for Mayer, but if the Titans are able to trade back and select him in the 20s, or even better, if they’re able to get him at #41, I’ve got no problem with that.
Further Reading: Michael Mayer Talks His NFL Draft Process, Notre Dame Career and Personal Relationships
2023 TITANS FIRST ROUND OPTIONS
- Paris Johnson Jr.
- Broderick Jones
- John Michael Schmitz
- Peter Skoronski
- CJ Stroud
- Bryce Young
- Wide receivers
- Tyree Wilson
- Devon Witherspoon
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Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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