Las Vegas Raiders Draft Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer 35th Overall

Despite entering Thursday morning before the 2023 NFL Draft as the betting favorite (based on the NFL Draft betting odds at FanDuel Sportsbook) to be the first tight end off the board, Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer was actually the third tight end selected when the Las Vegas Raiders drafted him with the 35th overall pick.

Michael Mayer's NFL Draft Profile

Mayer was super productive at Notre Dame, particularly his final two years -- going for at least 67 catches and 809 yards in each of those two seasons.

Per PlayerProfiler, Mayer owns a 95th-percentile dominator rating along with a 77th-percentile breakout age.

Mayer is second among tight ends in production score and sixth in overall score, according to the Next Gen Stats prospect model.

Michael Mayer's Top Comparables

According to my NFL prospect database -- which accounts for athleticism, production, size, draft capital, age, and more historically important variables -- here are Mayer's top five comparable players.

1. Hunter Henry - 95.4%
2. Dalton Kincaid - 90.4%
3. Zach Ertz - 89.2%
4. Sam LaPorta - 87.5%
5. Hunter Long - 87.4%

Michael Mayer in Las Vegas

There's an opening at tight end on the Raiders' roster after the team traded Darren Waller to the New York Giants.

Michael Mayer can fill it.

Mayer is one of the most productive and efficient tight ends in my prospect model, and despite some question marks about his raw athleticism, he led all tight ends in downfield catches, yards, and contested catches in 2022, via PFF.

Las Vegas Raiders 2023 Outlook

The Raiders are rebuilding in 2023, and Mayer will be part of a long-term core.

For the upcoming season, their win total, per FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL odds, is 7.5 (with +124 odds on the over).

They're +360 to make the playoffs and +5500 to win the Super Bowl.

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