What can the Las Vegas Raiders expect from CovCath grad Michael Mayer?
Now that his name has been called, the real work begins for Michael Mayer as he begins his National Football League career.
The 2020 Covington Catholic graduate, who played for Notre Dame in college, was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders as a tight end in the second round of the NFL Draft Friday night. He was taken with the fourth pick of the round, 35th overall.
Mayer will report to Las Vegas for rookie minicamp later this month, then the Raiders begin their spring organized team activities May 22.
It will be four months before the Raiders will play a game that counts, but here is an early look at how the CovCath graduate can help them.
Pundits believe the Raiders got a steal
Many pundits and local football fans were surprised when Mayer was not picked in the first round on Thursday night. That included Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler.
Dalton Kincaid of Utah, widely projected as a first-round pick, went to the Buffalo Bills at 25. The second tight end off the board was a surprise to some experts, as the Detroit Lions picked Sam LaPorta of Iowa with the third pick in the second round, 34th overall.
Seeing that, Ziegler traded up for the 35th pick and selected Mayer.
“When we got to the end there, there were discussions about possibly moving back to the first round,” Ziegler told Las Vegas media last Friday in a press conference. "The fact he was still there was very exciting for us. He was one of the top 15 players on our board."
ESPN draft expert Todd McShay said the Raiders got a steal in the early second round. McShay had Mayer ranked 19th overall on his list.
“Talk about a high-floor prospect,” McShay said in a column this week. “He will give you a little bit of everything, but his best traits are toughness and strength after the catch. He's a human bulldozer once the ball is in his hands, running over defenders. At 6-foot-5, he's a huge target with good hands, and no one is better in contested catch situations in this class. But Mayer is also a true all-around tight end, with the power to be effective as an in-line blocker. I could see him moving around quite a bit in Las Vegas, stacking as a base Y tight end or flexing out to beat defensive backs with his precise routes and size advantage.”
Will Josh McDaniels turn Mayer into 'Baby Gronk?'
Josh McDaniels, the Raiders' head coach, has spent most of his career as an assistant coach with the New England Patriots. McDaniels is in his second year with the Raiders after a second stint with the Patriots.
McDaniels was with New England between 2001-08 and 2012-21. He spent 10 seasons as the Pats' offensive coordinator before taking the Raiders’ job.
He was the offensive coordinator for several of the Patriots’ Super Bowl championship teams, using an offense that employed a lot of short passes. Slot receivers like Wes Welker and Julian Edelman became household names with the Patriots, and McDaniels had top tight ends with the Patriots, too, most notably all-time great Rob Gronkowski.
The Patriots also had a top tight end talent in Aaron Hernandez out of the University of Florida, who was infamously arrested for murder in 2013. Before that, for a stretch, the Patriots had them both and McDaniels used two-tight-end sets. In 2011-12, Gronkowski had a total of 203 targets and Hernandez had a total of 196 targets.
“Given how productive tight ends have been under Josh McDaniels, this seems like a perfect fit for Mayer and the Raiders,” McShay said. “Don’t be surprised if he clearly outperforms the rest of the rookie tight end class in 2023."
Said Dan Schneier of CBSSports.com “Michael Mayer pairs up with Josh McDaniels (Gronk, Hernandez, etc) and a QB who loves to hit his back foot and throw to his first read. I absolutely love this fit for immediate impact. Big fan of his overall game.”
Mayer could help Raiders in the red zone
Mayer was drafted as a long-term solution for the Raiders.
The Raiders traded Darren Waller, one of the most talented tight ends in the league, in the offseason, then signed veterans Austin Hooper and O.J. Howard to one-year contracts.
"Michael will be here for a long time,” Ziegler said. “High ceiling. If he continues to learn the nuances of the game, different coverages, matchups then you see in the college game, he has the type of skillset that can make a big impact for us. How far that goes, I won’t put any expectations on him, but I feel he can make an impact for us in the passing game.”
In addition to his blocking, the Raiders expect Mayer to help them score in the red zone next year.
“His short-area quickness,” Ziegler said. “He’s a bigger guy, but he still has the ability to win in a short area. He can win on third down, use his size down in the red zone. He can develop as a run blocker. Very smart. One of the smartest guys we measure. We were really excited to get a tight end with his skill set where we got him.”
Mayer's big-game experience could help the Raiders
Mayer has played once in Allegiant Stadium, the home of the Raiders. Notre Dame played Brigham Young there last year. Notre Dame won 28-20 and broke the single-game record for catches by a tight end when he caught 11 passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns.
Ziegler said getting players like Mayer who play against elite competition was a priority for his staff. Notre Dame played its traditionally challenging independent schedule filled with major-conference programs. Mayer, of course, also won two state championships with Covington Catholic.
“To be able to perform in big games against high-level competition,” Ziegler said. “Seeing guys perform at a high level in the big moments definitely has a big impact. You try to see how players perform against the highest level competition that they face. “
How can you see the Raiders play?
The Raiders do not play the Bengals this season, but local fans looking to see Mayer in person will have several chances to take a short trip to see him and the Raiders.
Vegas will play at the Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts this season. The full NFL schedule with game dates will be released May 11.
The Raiders are in the AFC West Division with reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City. Vegas will play the Chiefs twice as well as the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers.
Vegas will also play at the Miami Dolphins.
The Raiders will host the New York Jets, Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Will Las Vegas Raiders turn Michael Mayer into 'Baby Gronk?'
