Michael Mayer Receives Humbling Welcome to the NFL

Las Vegas Raiders rookie tight end Michael Mayer had himself a tough day containing defensive end Maxx Crosby on Tuesday.

Rookie tight end Michael Mayer is one of, if not the most, promising prospects the Las Vegas Raiders selected in this year's NFL Draft.

A 6-foot-4, 265-pound tight end with not only the ability to bring down difficult catches, but great blocking talent as well, Mayer is the epitome of the what the Silver and Black have looked for in their tight ends throughout their history.

On Tuesday, however, his first day going up against NFL veterans in pads got the best of him.

Defensive end Maxx Crosby, one of the best edge rushers in the league, gave Mayer all he could handle, putting him on the ground multiple times.

But Mayer kept getting back up.

"[I]t wasn't a bad lesson," Raiders Coach Josh McDaniels said when he addressed the media Wednesday. "It's his first day in pads in the National Football League. I mean, there's a baptism sometimes that happens. It is what it is. We all learn hard lessons in this league, but the hard ones are sometimes the best ones. He had a great attitude yesterday about just seeing the things that he wasn't doing right. 

"And that's why we were so excited about having him here and being able to draft him. He has the right mindset, tough, no back down. He learned it's different, you know what I mean? It can be different for different people, depending on who you're playing against. So, he'll be better today because of what happened yesterday. And that's what Maxx wants, to be better and to compete as much as he can, as hard as he can on every play.”

Mayer played three seasons at Notre Dame, having totaled 2,099 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns.

He was named to the Phil Steele All-American Fourth Team, the Associated Press All-American Third Team, and was a John Mackey Award semifinalist in his final college season.

Mayer was selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

The Silver and Black open the preseason by hosting the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Aug. 13, at 4 p.m. EDT/1 p.m. PDT.

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