ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay stumps for the Green Bay Packers to draft Michael Mayer

Since drafting tight end Rich McGeorge out of Elon in the first round of the 1970 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers have used a first round pick to take a pass catcher just five times in 53 drafts. But ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay thinks this could be a year for the Packers to break a current run of more than 20 years with a first-round pass catcher of their own: Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer

Making his case during a draft special on Tuesday, McShay argued that Mayer brings the versatility of a true inline blocking tight end who can get out and make contested catches. He’d be an ideal early-career security blanket for quarterback Jordan Love, who seems slated to be the starting quarterback come fall.

“So the history tells you they’re not going to do it, and yeah maybe they finally do it and shove it in Aaron’s face when he’s gone,” McShay said. “I, personally, would take Michael Mayer here, the tight end out of Notre Dame. I could understand Dalton Kincaid. A lot of guys I talk to in the league, the Utah tight end, he’s gaining steam. He’s got a little bit more juice than Mayer. Both of these guys, though. Mayer’s just an exceptional route runner, and he had 17 contested catches — more than any other tight end in this class — the past year. And he’s a bulldozer when he has the ball in his hands after the catch. So you’re bringing in a guy who is an inline blocker, will help your run game, and will be a security blanket for an inexperienced quarterback in Jordan Love.”

While McShay stumped for Mayer, specifically, or a tight end in general, his ESPN colleague Mel Kiper Jr. mocked Iowa edge rusher Lukas Van Ness to Green Bay.

McShay had no issue with the pick, even if he’d go a different direction.

“Tight end makes sense to me,” McShay said.

Kiper ultimately mocked Mayer to the Detroit Lions just a few picks after the Packers.

It’s a curious calculation for the Packers with the No. 15 pick, and one that could change significantly with draft capital changing hands a result of a potential Aaron Rodgers trade with the New York Jets. If the Packers do ship Rodgers, the return would likely be fairly valuable and could put Green Bay in a position to get some more juice at more than one spot.