Notre Dame football: Michael Mayer the next Antonio Gates for the Chargers?
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame football team has an elite tight end in Michael Mayer, and in one recent 2023 NFL Mock Draft, he lands with the Chargers.
The Notre Dame football team has gotten out to a 2-2 start to the 2022 college football season, and are currently in their bye week. They are fresh off two straight victories after two tough losses to start the season, so you have to think the arrow is pointed in the right direction entering their tilt against BYU next Saturday.
For the Irish, they have gotten strong play from a lot of their playmakers, including tight end, Michael Mayer. Just named the John Mackey weekly award winner, Mayer is widely regarded as one of the best tight ends in the country, and a likely first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
But where is Mayer likely to end up?
Two Notre Dame football players go in the latest mock draft
In a recent 2023 NFL Mock Draft over at Bleacher Report, Isaiah Foskey is the first member of the Notre Dame football program off the board. Remember, this is a program that has had one first-round pick since Jerry Tillery went to the Chargers in 2019, so two picks in the first next year is a step in the right direction.
While Isaiah Foskey lands in Seattle, Mayer lands in LaLa Land, as he is a late first-round pick of the Chargers. Alex Ballentine likes Mayer to be an upgrade over current Chargers tight end Gerald Everett and based on his size and athleticism, that is a correct assessment.
Mayer has been a dominant player at the collegiate level for some time now, and he seems to be peaking at the right time this season. The offense is based around him, and a solid group of running backs, so if the Irish are to do anything special this season, he will need to continue to produce.
In most recent mock drafts, Foskey and Mayer are the only Irish to get picked in the first round, but that all could change this draft season. Brandon Joseph is considered a top safety coming out, and Cam Hart has NFL potential at cornerback, so while Mayer and Foskey are getting a lot of love right now, there is plenty of time left for other Irish players to improve their draft stock.