With the No. 7 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Raiders made a somewhat surprising selection, picking Texas Tech EDGE rusher Tyree Wilson. While that pick got a lot of love from the national media, their pick in Round 2 was universally loved.
The Raiders traded up for Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer, who many had as their top tight end in the class. In fact, we know that he was in consideration for the Jets at No. 15 overall. He was the most productive tight end in Notre Dame history and should be an instant contributor for the Raiders.
In a recent article by Tashan Reed of The Athletic, he revealed that the Raiders had a first-round grade on Mayer. Here is a snippet of what he had to say about the newest tight end for Las Vegas:
The Raiders gave him a first-round grade and traded up in the second round to make sure they could select him, so it feels likely that he ends up taking the bulk of the snaps sooner than later.
It’s not surprising to see that Mayer carried a first-round grade for Las Vegas as he is about as clean as it gets for a tight end prospect. He’s got size and production, on top of playing extremely well against the best opponents in the nation.
It’s only a matter of time before Mayer becomes the starting tight end in Las Vegas. The only question is just how much of an impact can he have as a rookie in this offense. Because everything else suggests that Mayer is going to be a really good player for the Raiders in time.
