100 Days of Mocks: Bet on Mayer

With 35 days until the real NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers grabbed a top tight end in five new mock drafts.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers wound up with Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer in an interesting, gambling-based mock draft at Pro Football Network.

The mock was built in conjunction with PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator. As explained by B.J. Rudell: “The picks in this mock are decided based on the highest-percentage user-selected players for each franchise in the past seven days. When analyzing these selections, we will examine the current betting odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook and see how MDS fans and users compare to the current odds.”

At FanDuel Sportsbook, Mayer is heavy favorite to be the first tight end off the board at +100. He’s followed by Utah’s Dalton Kincaid at +170 and Georgia’s Darnell Washington at +300. Oregon State’s Luke Musgrave (+2500), Iowa’s Sam LaPorta (+4000) and South Dakota State’s Tucker Kraft (+10000) round out the six-man list.

“Statistically, the Packers have had a top-10 tight end only once in the last 11 seasons,” Rudell wrote. “As this 2023 NFL Mock Draft demonstrates, they’re good bets to select their TE of the future – the question is, who?”

In this mock, it was Mayer – the most-prolific pass-catching tight end in Notre Dame history. He was a consensus first-team All-American in 2022, the 106th in program history but the first tight end since 1977. Among FBS tight ends, Mayer ranked 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 NFL Draft Bible scouting report.

Mayer also was the choice in a new Sports Illustrated mock by Kevin Hanson.

"Wide receivers Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs are coming off productive rookie seasons," Hanson wrote. "Mayer would provide Jordan Love (assuming Rodgers becomes a Jet) with another weapon in the passing game. Mayer isn’t an elite athlete, but he has an all-around skill set and was the focal point of Notre Dame’s passing offense, leading the team in receiving in each of his three seasons in South Bend."

In a beat writers mock draft for The Athletic, Matt Schneidman tried to send Aaron Rodgers to the Jets for the 13th pick. Rebuffed, he took Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid at No. 15.

“The Packers take the best pass-catching tight end in the draft to replace Robert Tonyan, who never returned to his 2020 form after his torn ACL suffered midway through the 2021 season,” Schneidman wrote.

“What better way to start Jordan Love off on the right foot than giving him a trio of talented pass catchers in Kincaid and receivers Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs to throw to? How ironic is it that the Packers’ first receiver or tight end taken in the first round since Rodgers comes the year he leaves?”

Kincaid is among the tight ends who’ve caught Green Bay’s attention.

CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso did trade Rodgers. With the first-round picks, he grabbed Kincaid and Northwestern offensive tackle Peter Skoronski.

“Skoronski's likely positional versatility at the next level makes him a priority for the Packers, who like to move their blockers all around the line,” Trapasso wrote.

Skoronski is the grandson of Bob Skoronski, who was the left tackle for the five-time NFL champion Packers from 1956 through 1968. Peter Skoronski in 2022 became Northwestern’s first unanimous first-team All-American and won the Rimington-Pace Award as the Big Ten’s top blocker.

A superb player with elite quickness off the ball, his 32 1/4-inch arms could push him to guard.

The Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer also opted for a tight end but took Mayer instead of Kincaid.

“Mayer didn't run the fastest and didn't blow anyone away with his capped athleticism in the agility drills in the Combine, but he made his mark as a complete, classic in-line player for the position in the gauntlet and other pass-catching testing,” Iyer wrote. “The Packers need an impact tight end for Jordnan Love with Robert Tonyan leaving for the Bears in free agency and Marcedes Lewis set to not return.”

Where Kincaid landed will mean twice-a-year comparisons.

More Green Bay Packers News

The Jets traded WR Elijah Moore to the Browns a few hours ago. That trade could - emphasis on "could" - help break the stalemate between the #Packers and Jets and get a trade done with Aaron Rodgers. Here's how, along with thoughts from a couple sources.https://t.co/6JrGy3KSyH

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) March 22, 2023

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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 are the last 10 days of the series.

36 days: Defensive tackle with “special” skill-set

37 days: Seven-round mock shows challenge I Kiper 3.0 I Jeremiah 3.0

38 days: Rodgers traded, Smith-Njigba picked

Packer Central’s second seven-round mock

39 days: Bryan Bresee leads seven-round mock

40 days: A big, bad Bulldog

41 days: Trading back, helping defense

42 days: Van Ness leads off PFF three-rounder

43 days: Van Ness at No. 13 and No. 15 in new mocks

44 days: Four-rounder starts with pass rusher

45 days: Sorry, free agency