Newsstand: NFL Draft guru reveals pro comparison for former Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer
The NFL Draft is 24 days away, and Notre Dame football’s declarations will have the chance to make their NFL dreams come true. As for Michael Mayer, he should expect to hear his name called on day one, according to one NFL Draft analyst.
ESPN’s Matt Miller gave Mayer a first-round grade, just one of 20 players to earn that recognition. In addition, Miller compared Notre Dame’s All-America tight end to Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson.
”Mayer is a throwback three-down tight end who can line up next to the offensive tackle and clear out in the run game or bring down passes up the seam,” Miller said. “At 6-foot-5 and 249 pounds, he has elite size and uses it to produce all over the field to the tune of 67 catches, 809 yards and nine touchdowns in 2022.
“Mayer is a post-up, box-out red zone threat, and while he ran a 4.70-second 40-yard dash at the combine, his power, agility and instincts should keep him in the top 15 picks even at a non-premium position.”
Mayer is looking to become the first former Irish tight end drafted in the first round since the Bengals selected Tyler Eifert, No. 21 overall, in 2013. Since then, Notre Dame has had six other tight ends drafted: Troy Niklas, Ben Koyack, Durham Smythe, Alize Mack, Cole Kmet and Tommy Tremble.
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Mayer caught 180 passes for 2,099 yards and 18 touchdowns in three seasons at Notre Dame. Those marks rank atop the Irish record books among tight end statistics.
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“The best things you can equate it to are golf and closing pitchers. Those are the two main mindsets you have to come in and perform in this exact type of performance.”
— Notre Dame special teams coordinator Marty Biagi explaining the pressure of kicking and punting.
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