Mel Kiper explains why Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer is a perfect fit for the Cowboys

Making the rounds on Tuesday following the drop of his mock draft 4.0, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. shared why he slotted Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer in at No. 26 overall for the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys haven’t drafted a tight end in the first round in the past couple of decades but Kiper believes Mayer is the one for them.

“He’s a throwback to the 70s, 80s, 90s, he can block in-line,” Kiper said on First Take, “he lumbers a bit but you talk about the hands, he’s had focus drops, overall though, he’s been there since his freshman year, putting up big numbers. I think we overanalyze players that have been there since day one… He’s traditional, he’s throwback, he’s a blood and guts football player.

“For them (Dallas), blocking is important, running the football is important. You can’t bring in a Luke Musgrave, or a Dalton Kincaid, and get that blocking ability. Darnell Washington as well could be an in-line guy, but Mayer’s just a little bit better in that area right now. For the complete tight end, the best fit I think is Michael Mayer.”

The Cowboys have hosted several tight ends for top-30 visits leading up to the draft. Mayer has not been among them, but he has a lot of tape to do the talking for him.

Mayer had 180 catches for 2,099 yards and 18 scores in three seasons for the Fighting Irish before declaring for the draft.

After the Cowboys’ loss of Dalton Schultz in free agency, they need to replace their No. 2 leading receiver without losing anything in the run game.

More on the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft takes place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event location this year is the plaza just outside of Union Station.

Round 1 of the NFL Draft begins at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft broadcast runs throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.

Following two trades that cost them two fifth-round compensatory picks (No. 161, No. 169), these are the seven draft picks left on the Cowboys board for April.

• Round 1, No. 26
• Round 2, No. 58
• Round 3, No. 90
• Round 4, No. 128
• Round 5, No. 176*
• Round 6, No. 212*
• Round 7, No. 243

*denotes compensatory pick