Where Daniel Jeremiah has former Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer going in his NFL mock draft 3.0

NFL Media Analyst Daniel Jeremiah has revealed his latest mock draft, which includes projections of the top 31 selections for this year’s NFL Draft. And this time around, Jeremiah, a former NFL scout from 2003-2012, only has one Notre Dame player coming off the board on day one.

Jeremiah forecasted former Irish tight end Michael Mayer to go No. 31 overall to the New Orleans Saints. It’s Jeremiah’s first mock draft since the NFL Scouting Combine, which took place from Feb. 28 until March 6.  

“Mayer would be an excellent value pick at this point in Round 1,” Jeremiah wrote. “He is a complete tight end, and Derek Carr would have a reliable security blanket on third down.”

Jeremiah predicted the 6-foot-4 ½, 249-pound Mayer to become the second tight end selected in this year’s draft. He tapped the Washington Commanders to select former Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid at No. 16 overall.

Mayer fell one spot from Jeremiah’s pre-NFL Scouting Mock Draft on Feb. 21, in which he estimated the former Irish standout could go No. 28 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals. In Jeremiah’s first mock draft on Jan. 20, he slotted Mayer to the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 24 overall. 

Notre Dame’s Mayer a top 25 NFL Draft prospect, according to Jeremiah

Although Jeremiah has had Mayer going no earlier than No. 24 overall in his mock drafts, he ranked the 2022 consensus All-America tight end as the No. 21 player in his most recent top 50 NFL Draft prospect rankings on March 9.

“Mayer is a physical tight end with strong hands and value in the run game,” Jeremiah said. “He lines up in-line, on the wing or flexed in the slot. He isn’t a sudden mover, but he understands how to set up defenders and utilizes his big frame to box out down the field. 

“He’s excellent when making catches in congested areas. After the catch, he has the strength to drag tacklers for extra yards. He is a very dependable run blocker, as well. He latches on and runs his feet to create movement. Overall, Mayer doesn’t have elite athleticism, but he’s a complete tight end who will be ready to contribute right away.”

Mayer is looking to become the first former Irish tight end to get 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. 

In three seasons at Notre Dame, Mayer caught 180 passes for 2,099 yards and 18 touchdowns. Those marks rank atop the Irish record books among tight end statistics.