A clear favorite has emerged for the Green Bay Packers in national mock drafts since the end of the regular season: Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer.
Another mock draft, this one from Eric Edholm of NFL.com, sent Mayer to the Packers at No. 15 overall in the first round.
From Edholm: “This might be early for Mayer, who isn’t every team’s top-rated tight end. But he’s rock solid across the board and would give Green Bay a quality middle-of-the-field pass catcher, which is a need.”
The fit is boringly easy. The Packers desperately need help at tight end, especially given the contract statuses of Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis, and Mayer appears to be a first-round talent. Position need plus perceived talent/value equals a common mock draft pairing.
Regardless of who is playing quarterback next season in Green Bay, getting better play from the tight end position could provide a big boost on offense.
Brennen Rupp of Packers Wire believes Mayer is a “plug-and-play starter with natural pass-catching abilities.”
It’s fair to wonder if the Packers would use a mid first-round pick on a tight end. But this is also the same team that used first-round picks on an off-ball linebacker and 24-year-old defensive lineman last April, so ruling out tight end as a possible option in the first round is probably foolish.
Pro Football Focus rates Mayer as the best tight end in the class and the No. 17 overall prospect. He graded out as the top tight end in college football during the 2022 season. Mayer has ideal size, the versatility as a receiver and blocker coveted by teams at the position, and he’s still only 21 years old.
Mayer’s performance at the NFL Scouting Combine will be interesting to track. Can he prove the elite athleticism that all the great tight end possesses? He could solidify his status as a first-rounder.
Also, consider the final four teams in the NFL playoffs this year. The Eagles have Dallas Goedert. The Chiefs have Travis Kelce. The 49ers have George Kittle. A game-breaking tight end has incredible value.
Could selecting Mayer in April’s draft finally give the Packers a game-changing tight end?
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