100 Days of Mock: Packers Get TE in NFL Draft Bible Mock

Arguably the best tight end in the 2023 NFL Draft has been mentored by a longtime NFL standout.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – With Senior Bowl Week coming up, two early favorites have emerged for the Green Bay Packers with their first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

One is Iowa edge rusher Lukas Van Ness. The other is Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer, who was the pick for Green Bay in the latest NFL Draft Bible mock draft.

Mayer was a consensus first-team All-American this season, the 106th in program history but its first tight end since 1977. Among all tight ends in FBS, Mayer was second with 67 receptions, third with 809 yards and first with nine touchdowns.

“Mayer forces opposing defenders to make business decisions with the ball in his hands, as he runs at them like a Mack truck,” reads part of his scouting report. “He is extremely tough to bring down, often requiring multiple defenders to do so. The team captain brings a ferocious intensity and is a notorious hard worker. While his blocking is adequate, there is room for improvement in his development. Overall, his ability to run, catch, block and break tackles makes him an immediate impact player at the next level.”

The Packers could have a huge need at tight end depending on the team’s plans with Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis, the unit’s veteran standouts who are hitting free agency.

If the Packers decide to go young, a stellar draft class of tight ends awaits – a statement that hasn’t been used often in recent years.

With the ability to make a difference as a receiver as well as a blocker, Mayer is the top two-way tight end in the draft. He’s been mentored by longtime NFL standout Kyle Rudolph, who spent the 2022 season with the Buccaneers.

“There aren't many of those guys in football these days," Rudolph told Notre Dame Insider. "(There’s) a lot of specialty-type tight ends, and (Mayer) is kind of that old-school build body type and he can do it all."

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young has the shortest odds to be the first player drafted at FanDuel Sportsbook at -120, with Young and Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud being the front-runners. Mayer is +20000.

100 Days of Mocks

Starting Jan. 17, when there were 100 days until the start of the NFL Draft, we started our mock-worthy goal of 100 mock drafts in 100 days. Here’s the 100-day-countdown series.

100 days: First-round quarterback?

99 days: Trading for outside linebacker

98 days: Stud tight end

97 days: This pick would break a long drought

96 days: NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah goes back to Georgia

95 days: Two firsts if Rodgers is traded

94 days: College Football News mocks Mayer

93 days: Safety first for Bucky Brooks in NFL.com mock

92 days: Kiper takes a tight end

91 days: Three defensive backs in seven-round mock

90 days: Playmaking cornerback at PFF

89 days: A “Eureka!” moment in two-round mock

88 days: Sorry, vacation day.

87 days: Packers trade back, get extra second-rounder

86 days: Tight end in NFL Draft Bible Mock