Newsstand: Where Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer appeared in latest ESPN NFL mock draft
If the current draft range projections for Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer hold until April, beginning his NFL career near his hometown could be a real option. The Cincinnati Bengals own the No. 28 pick in the draft. Mayer, from the Cincinnati suburb of Independence, Ky., is projected as a mid-to-late first-round pick.
Maybe there’s a match. ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller predicted it in his latest mock. Miller has the Bengals taking Mayer at No. 28 in his two-round mock draft, released Monday.
“The first of a loaded tight end group comes off the board as the Bengals look to develop an inside passing game to complement the outside talent assembled in Cincinnati,” Miller wrote. “Mayer is a throwback tight end who reminds me of T.J. Hockenson, showcasing an in-line blocking game and terrific seam game as a receiver.
“Mayer, who is 6-5, 235 pounds, had 67 catches for nine touchdowns in 2022 while playing in an offense without an established quarterback. And while he doesn’t have elite speed or positional versatility, the top-ranked tight end in the class is a tremendous value at this spot, especially with Hayden Hurst hitting free agency.”
Miller has two more tight ends follow Mayer in the next five picks: Georgia’s Darnell Washington to the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 31 overall and Utah’s Dalton Kincaid to the Houston Texans at No. 33.
Not present in Miller’s mock is Notre Dame defensive end Isaiah Foskey, a projected Day 2 selection.
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