Getty The Giants can get the next Rob Gronkowski in the 2023 NFL draft.
Tight end is a depleted position for the New York Giants in 2022, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. Not when one mock draft writer has the Giants taking a player compared to Rob Gronkowski in the 2023 NFL draft.
Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer would give Big Blue a complete player at the position. A tight end capable of moving people as a blocker and getting behind coverage in the underneath and intermediate passing game.
If Mayer became even a fraction as effective as former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl winner Gronkowski was in the pros, the Giants would get the steal of next year’s draft.
Giants Would Fill Major Void With Key Pick
The Giants are currently slated to pick 24th, and CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson believes Mayer would be the right selection: “Mayer is more Gronk than Kelce, but that’s not a bad thing. And in New York, he’ll get plenty of opportunities — presumably, with Daniel Jones — in part because there are only two tight ends currently on the roster, and one is set to hit free agency after the season.”
There are actually three tight ends on the roster, Daniel Bellinger, Nick Vannett and Lawrence Cager. The latter two were added to the practice squad with the season already underway, so there’ll be free agents this offseason.
Bellinger, a fourth-round pick this year, has defined himself more as a blocker than an effective receiver. He’s proved competent in the first area, like on this wham block during Week 15’s 20-12 win over the Washington Commanders, highlighted by Dan Schneier of CBS Sports:
S/o @FrankBellinger who told me he loves when the #Giants use his son Daniel Bellinger on the WHAM blocks. As usual, great technique by the rookie.
Quiet box score game, but Bellinger got open twice up the seam on what could be future big gains. And the blocking🔥
#TogetherBlue
Pass-catching has been another matter though. Bellinger has made just 25 catches for 199 yards and two touchdowns. For the season, all Giants tight ends have combined for a mere 42 receptions, according to Pro Football Reference.
Mayer has exceeded those numbers comfortably in each of his last two seasons. He followed a 71-catch 2021 campaign by making 67 grabs for 809 yards this year.
The Giants’ offense already lacks a game-changing wide receiver, so a linchpin tight end like Mayer would make a huge difference.
TE Compared to ‘Gronk’ Already a Difference-Maker
Mayer would transform the Giants because he can make big plays over the middle and be clutch in the red zone. He averaged 12.1 yards per catch this season and found the end zone nine times.
The 21-year-old’s knack for getting vertical was explained by Pro Football Focus’ Michael Renner: “Even without blazing speed, Mayer still led the draft class with 20 receptions on targets 10-plus yards downfield.”
Mayer was also prolific against single coverage, per PFF College:
Highest graded TE vs single coverage this season:
☘️ Michael Mayer – 90.5
There were shades of Gronkowski about the way Mayer won so easily whenever he didn’t draw a crowd in coverage. The ‘Gronk’ was downright dominant in one-on-one matchups.
What separated Gronkowski from the other great tight ends of his era, including Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, was his ability to block. The same talent is a staple of Mayer’s game.
He was a signature part of Notre Dame’s rushing attack because of cut-off blocks like this one against Boston College:
Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer (87) gets a nice lead block here and a couple nice cuts by Chris Tyree to get loose.
As Renner detailed, “Mayer is also one of the best blocking tight ends in the draft. His 82.1 run-blocking grade ranked fourth among the position in the FBS. That’s rare to see from only a third-year player. There aren’t many safer picks in the draft than Mayer.”
That last note about Mayer being a safe pick is a sentiment shared by many, including NFL Rookie Watch:
Several NFL scouts reportedly believe Michael Mayer may be “the safest” prospect in the upcoming Draft.
The Notre Dame TE is widely regarded as the best TE prospect that has entered the Draft 👀
Mayer would be an asset for running back Saquon Barkley, the lone bluechip playmaker on the Giants’ offense. He’d also be a safe pair of hands for Daniel Jones or whoever is playing quarterback next season.
The Giants haven’t had a complete tight end as dynamic as Mayer since the heyday of Mark Bavaro. He defined the offenses he played on, both in terms of production and personality.
A physical mismatch who can punish defenses through the air and on the ground would fit today’s run-heavy and Barkley-led Giants like a glove.