Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer is one of the best tight end prospects in the NFL Draft. Despite already having a top end tight end in Pat Freiermuth, the Pittsburgh Steelers have shown interest with Mayer at the NFL Combine, as they have had a meeting with him.
Given Mayer is a first round talent, the Steelers drafting him would be somewhat surprising given they have a starting tight end in Freiermuth, but with the possibility of Zach Gentry leaving in free agency there may be a need at tight end for Pittsburgh.
Today at the NFL Combine, Mayer was asked about how he would feel being drafted by a team with an already established tight end.
“I think I can do anything any team asks me to do,” Mayer told reporters. “I could 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, and that’s really how I feel.”
An elite blocking tight end is something that not only the Steelers have been missing since the days of Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth, but is also a dying bread in the NFL. Not many tight ends specialize in the blocking aspect, but if the Steelers do want to be a run first football team under offensive coordinator Matt Canada, they will need better blocking out of their tight ends.
The question then is should the Steelers use their first round pick on him? Tight end is certainly not an urgent need, but in the AFC with a bunch of elite quarterbacks in the conference, I could understand the thinking of loading up on weapons and adding a tight end who put up 67 catches for 809 yards and nine touchdowns this past season. Given that he is also a good blocker, he would certainly be a great weapon to pair with Freiermuth, even if I don’t particularly think Pittsburgh should go in that direction on draft night.
Standing at 6’4″ and weighing 265 pounds, Mayer has good size for a tight end that will be a mismatch for whoever opponents have lined up against him. Over his collegiate career, Mayer recorded 180 receptions, for 2,099 yards and 18 touchdowns. His great production at the college level led him to be named to the All-American Third Team 2021 and a First Team All-American this past season. Mayer was also a finalist for the John Mackey Award for best tight end in college football this past season.
While Mayer being a Steeler next season is unlikely, he certainly will find a home somewhere and become a good NFL player for a long time.
Check out our full report on Mayer below.
