Mayer is Shaping Into the Player the Raiders Wanted
Las Vegas Raiders rookie tight end Michael Mayer was given high expectations this offseason after being selected as the Raiders' second-round pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.
While Mayer stands out with his blocking ability as a tight end, he made it clear in his years at Notre Dame that he can be a significant receiving threat when called upon.
After recording onlyone reception in four games, Mayer had a solid start for the Raiders in Monday night's game against the Green Bay Packers, posting 39 yards on only two receptions.
"Yeah, I mean, run after the catch, yards after contact, I mean, all that stuff, when you have a tight end or a big receiver, a big back who gets the ball in space, and you make smaller men try to tackle you, I mean, sometimes you create even bigger plays," Raiders Coach Josh McDaniels said when he addressed the media Wednesday. "And [Mayer] ended up with a handful of yards after they touched him the other night, too. So, that's always been a position that we've gotten the ball to quite a bit inside the middle of the field, and I think that as the season goes on, we need to continue to try to do that.
"We've got good players at that position, obviously invested a significant draft pick in Michael [Mayer] and that position group is coming on, improving, working hard in practice, which is important. I think developing some chemistry with our quarterbacks, too."
Mayer's contribution to the passing game should only grow as his experience builds.
"I mean, I'm not saying that that's what college football is, but it's not just run the line on the paper, and you're automatically wide open in the NFL," McDaniels said. "So, there's an element of understanding what you need to do to get yourself opportunities. And there are a lot of other things that go along with that, but we have good pass protection, and the quarterback is reading the plays properly and they're attacking the middle of the field the right way; I mean, you have opportunities.
"So, [Mayer] made a handful of good plays the other day. Austin [Hooper] had a couple of touches too. So, we're just going to keep trying to incorporate those guys as much as we can."
The Silver and Black will stay home at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas to play the New England Patriots on Sunday, Oct. 15, at 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. PDT.
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