Michael Mayer draft profile: The Cowboys’ next Jason Witten?
By Noah Weber
The Dallas Cowboys lost star tight end Dalton Schultz to the Houston Texans this offseason and could be looking for his replacement.
The Cowboys still have soon-to-be second-year tight ends Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot, who both showed potential in their limited playing time last season. They combined for 277 receiving yards and five total touchdowns last season, but will they be enough?
Is Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer the perfect replacement for Schultz? Do the Cowboys even need a new tight end?
These questions and more will be answered in Mayer’s draft profile.
Cowboys 2023 Draft: Michael Mayer’s Strengths
Michael Mayer is one of the nation’s top tight ends ahead of this year’s draft and Dallas could roll the dice and select him at the No. 26 overall pick. Here are two of his top skills observed from a breakdown of his film.
1. Reliability
One of the most important skills for tight ends is reliability. Mayer may not be an electric playmaker, but he’s as reliable of a tight end that you can ask for. That’s why multiple scouts are comparing him to Cowboys’ great Jason Witten.
He has a big catch radius, great hands, and is a monster in the red zone. If the ball hits Mayer’s hands he’s not dropping it. Mayer scored 16 touchdowns in his final two years at Notre Dame and has the potential to put up Dalton Schultz-type numbers immediately. In 2022, he ranked tied for first in deep catches (eight), first in contested catches (17), and third in deep yards (210), according to PFF.
Although he doesn’t have the best speed, he still has the quickness to shake defenders off him when running short to intermediate routes. In fact, Mayer tied for eight amongst tight ends last season with 12 missed tackles forced.
The Notre Dame product is the complete package at the tight end position and is the type of player that will thrive in the NFL.
2. Blocking
Mayer is a phenomenal blocker. You never have to take him off the field as he will give his all when pass blocking and run blocking. He also never gives up on a play and holds his blocks whether the running back is running to the other side of the line or is already ten yards down the field. Per PFF, Mayer’s 82.1 run-blocking grade ranked fourth amongst tight ends.
He brings full effort to blocking, takes pride in it, and finishes his blocks. He pancakes defenders on a regular basis.
Final Thoughts
Even though the Cowboys don’t need a tight end, they could still take Mayer if he falls to the 26th pick. He is arguably the best tight end in the draft and would be a day-one starter for the Cowboys.
Dalton Schultz was tied for sixth among tight ends in dropped passes last season and Mayer would likely be more reliable in that aspect of the game. The Cowboys haven’t had a tight end with Mayer’s playing style since Witten left and having another big, reliable tight end in Dallas who can open lanes in the running game could be the missing puzzle piece to making a deep playoff push.
The Cowboys’ offense will look drastically different after the addition of Brandin Cooks into the offense and adding Mayer to be a safety blanket for Dak Prescott in the passing game could be a safe move.
