Getty Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (12) meets with head coach Matt Lafleur (left).
The Green Bay Packers are having an identity crisis on offense through the first six games of the 2022 season. While there are plenty of glaring needs on offense, it’s becoming more and more clear that the Packers will need another playmaker.
While the offensive line is struggling to keep Aaron Rodgers upright and the team is dealing with multiple injuries at wide receiver, a playmaking tight end could have a huge impact in Matt LaFleur’s system. In his latest 2023 NFL mock draft, Kyle Crabbs with The Draft Network had the Packers taking Notre Dame star tight end Michael Mayer.
“Green Bay’s offensive transition has already leaned into a more run-heavy approach, but how about a player who can pick up both the run game AND the pass game in Michael Mayer?” Crabbs said. “Robert Tonyan has a place close to Aaron Rodgers’ heart but the team would likely be wise to start thinking about life with and without Rodgers for the long haul.”
The Packers have also been linked to a replacement for Randall Cobb in the 2023 NFL Draft, with analysts looking ahead at how to fix Green Bay’s offense.
Who is Michael Mayer?
The Fighting Irish have a long, storied history of talented tight ends who went on to have successful NFL careers, including the likes of Tyler Eifert and Kyle Rudolph. Despite playing just three seasons in South Bend, Mayer already looks like one of the best tight ends in program history.
Coming out of Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky, Mayer was a 5-star recruit and the second-ranked tight end in the class of 2020. His offers included top-tier SEC programs like Alabama and Georgia, but he decided to move up north to play for Notre Dame.
Mayer carved out a role as a true freshman, and has been one of the team’s top targets ever since. In 30 college games, Mayer has caught 151 passes for 1,701 yards and 14 touchdowns. After a third-team All-American selection in 2021, Mayer is on pace to be a first-team selection as a junior.
With excellent route-running ability, play strength, and dominance as a run blocker, Mayer has already started to draw comparisons to future Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski, being labeled “Baby Gronk“.
He still has to officially declare for the NFL Draft, but with the way he’s playing, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Mayer forego his senior season as a solidified first-round prospect.
Why Should the Packers Pursue a Tight End?
The timing seems strange for the Packers to be linked to a tight end prospect after Robert Tonyan caught ten passes for 90 yards in the loss to the New York Jets. However, the positional need will be massive in 2023 if things go a certain way.
Tonyan will be an unrestricted free agent after this season, and the Packers have much bigger decisions to make next offseason with Adrian Amos, Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard, and Elgton Jenkins all also entering free agency.
On top of that, Marcedes Lewis will also be a 39-year-old free agent who has a legitimate chance of retiring. If that happens, then the Packers could be without their top two tight ends in 2023.
If that ends up happening, then the Packers will seriously need to consider drafting a top tight end like Mayer to help open up the middle of the field in the passing game, while also giving them an additional run blocker.