Will Michael Mayer be a First-Round Pick? 2023 NFL Draft Outlook

Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer was one of the most productive players in college football at the position over his three seasons at Notre Dame – setting him up for a chance to be a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Mayer and Utah's Dalton Kincaid are largely viewed as the two best prospects at tight end in this class, so the majority of mock drafters have Mayer as no worse than the second tight end off the board.

How did Mayer play during his three-year career and will he be a first-round pick on April 27th? Let's dive in.

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Michael Mayer Career Review

As a true freshman, Mayer caught 42 passes for 420 yards and two touchdowns. It wasn't a dominant year, but it was impressive for a player sharing a tight end room with NFL players Brock Wright and Tommy Tremble. However, his production would pick up in year two.

The 21-year-old caught 138 passes for 1,649 yards and 16 touchdowns over his final two seasons in South Bend. He was a Third-Team All-American in 2021 and First-Team All-American in 2022 and finished as a Mackey Award finalist in both seasons.

From the tight end spot, he posted elite receiving production and was the main target in Notre Dame's offense. After just three seasons, Mayer declared for the 2023 NFL Draft.

Will Michael Mayer be a First-Round Pick?

According to MockDraftDataBase.com, which aggregates thousands of mock drafts to form a big board of prospects, Mayer ranks as the 25th overall prospect. Mayer has been a fixture in the first round of mock drafts since at least December. He wasn't an impressive athlete at the NFL Combine, which hurt his stock a bit, but he's still likely to go inside the top 31 picks.

Michael Mayer Mock Draft Data

The Los Angeles Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Washington Commanders, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are all TE-needy teams picking from No. 15 to No. 29 overall. Those would all be great fits for Mayer in the mid-to-late first round. In all likelihood, he will be a first-round selection.

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