The Las Vegas Raiders had a hole to fill on the offensive end when they decided to trade Darren Waller ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Waller had been banged up in previous seasons, so the Raiders made a tough choice in dealing him away to the New York Giants. However, they didn’t waste much time finding his successor when they took Michael Mayer No. 35 overall.
Mayer was considered to be the best tight-end prospect in his class, and for good reason considering his offensive versatility. Mayer doesn’t lack any confidence, as he recently expressed that he thinks he can be impactful in every area of the offense via Vic Tafur of The Athletic:
“I think I can do anything the team asked me to do,” Mayer said. “I can be in the backfield, and I can block. I can be a fullback and block. I can be at the end, I can be out by the numbers, I can be in the slot and run routes. I can do it all, man. And that’s really how I feel.”
The Notre Dame product was projected to go in the first round, so it was a surprise to see him fall to the second round. Dave Ziegler knew he had to trade up to get him because he believes he was one of the best offensive players in college:
“He can get open from a lot of different alignments, and he got open against a lot of different players, whether it was a corner, safety or linebacker. He has a special trait where he has some short-area quickness at the top of the route and some savvy as to how he sets up his route for a young player. It allows him to get open often. He was often the best offensive player on the field, no matter who they were playing.”
Alongside Davante Adams, Mayer could quickly become one of the Raiders’ primary offensive weapons because of his route running and sure hands. Even though young tight ends take a couple of years to develop at the NFL level, there’s no denying that Mayer is talented enough to make a difference on day 1.
Darren Waller throws shade at Raiders
While Mayer is the future in Las Vegas, Waller will be looking forward to a fresh start in New York. Waller recently threw shade at his former team when he talked about how different it feels to have his voice heard.
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