Michael Mayer (TE) – Notre Dame/JR
6’4.4”, 249 Lbs. (Official)
2022 Stats: 12 games, 67 receptions, 809 receiving yards, 12.1 yards per reception, 9 receiving touchdowns
{reference: https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/michael-mayer-1.html}
Awards: 2022 Consensus All-America
Measurables: Arm – 31-5/8″, Hand – 9-1/2″, Vertical – 32.5”, Broad – 910, 40-yard – 4.7, 10-yard – 1.66, 3-Cone – 7.26, RAS: 7.65
Games Watched: [Joe] 2022 vs. BYU, 2022 vs. USC. [Coach] 2022 Vs. Ohio St., 2022 Vs. USC
PRO’S:
[Joe] Mayer allowed ZERO sacks or pressures his first 2 years at Notre Dame, and as a fan of the Tight End position I just love that statistic. He is a physical player and runner who is not afraid of contact. He is tough to bring down & breaks tackles. He has good, strong hands, as well as good speed for a Tight End. Mayer has a reputation for being “intense” and a hard worker. He has good balance, he is quick out of his stance. He has good speed for a Tight End that allows him to get separation, and his speed is good enough to give his coaches the flexibility to split him out wide at times. His ‘21 & ‘22 stats were remarkably similar (averaged 800+ yard, 69 receptions, and 8 TDs over both years), which shows consistent, high end production.
[Coach] Mayer is a hammer in the run game, strong anchor and powerful drive. Meyer approaches 2nd level defenders with intent to not only remove them from the play but to also beat them up physically. Quickly engages in blocks at the LOS and shows the ability to eliminate an opponent from the play and quickly move on to the next assignment. Plays quick, shows off his 1.66 10-yard split when releasing for a route from being in motion. Prolific receiver, 3rd most receiving yards of all tight-ends in 2022(809) and 4th most in 2021(840). Catch in traffic/box-out/posession target. Has the ability to high point the football, 2022 Vs. Ohio St. 3rd QTR 7:15, runs a comeback route and the ball is thrown up and outside of his body, leaves his feet, extends for the football, snatches the ball out of the air, lands and efficiently transitions to ball carrier for YAC.
CON’S:
[Joe] As complete as he is in being a Tight End (in being effective in both the receiving and blocking game), Mayer still has room for improvement. This includes improvement in run blocking and tracking the ball. He is also not a quick player (but physical is his game anyway), and while he is certainly not slow, he is not fast either (but again, physical is his game anyway and his speed is good for a Tight End). Mayer’s 40-yard at combine was 4.70 — that is pretty good for the position, but he actually looks slower than that on tape (which could just be that my eyes are lying to me and is really just a product of his running style).
[Coach] Does not have high end lateral quickness or elite straight line speed. Heavy feet at times in and out of his tight breaks, allows linebackers to settle and react, stay in position to defend the pass. Will be over aggressive when attempting to reach a defender for the block, leads to having his hands in the wrong place/technical breakdowns.
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
[Joe] Mayer is what a TE should be – a complete three-down player at a position that requires so much versatility to be considered well-rounded. He offers more than just competency as both a blocker AND a receiver. While he can improve his run blocking, he is a sound and solid pass blocker. Mayer is a physical receiver who catches the ball in traffic and is hard to bring down. He is a nice security blanket for his QB. LSU is known as “DB University,” USC as a WR one, Penn St. is known for its Linebackers, and Notre Dame is a TE factory with Mayer soon to become the latest off that assembly line. Mayer is a very solid TE who should be a mainstay on an NFL team for the next 10 years.
[Coach] Michael Mayer might be one of the best all-around prospects I have scouted in the 2023 NFL Draft class. Mayer is an excellent blocker and has been one of the most productive tight ends in the country receiving the football over the last 2 seasons. Mayer is an elite possession receiver with a strong ability to high point the football and to box out defenders to secure catches in traffic, this will make quarterbacks grateful to have him as a target. 1st round tight ends usually take some time to establish themselves in the NFL but if anyone in this class is going to buck that trend, it is going to be Mayer.
Completed by: @JoeJ_Clark, 01/02/23
Added to: @coachschepps, 04/12/23
Reviewed & edited: J. Clark, 04/12/23
