Michael Mayer, tight end from CovCath and Notre Dame, goes to Bengals in ESPN mock draft
The latest NFL mock draft from ESPN's Matt Miller has the Cincinnati Bengals taking former Covington Catholic High School and Notre Dame Fighting Irish tight end Michael Mayer with their first-round pick - 28th overall - in the 2023 NFL draft.
Mayer declared in December that he would forego his senior season at Notre Dame to enter the 2023 NFL draft.
"The first of a loaded tight end group comes off the board as the Bengals look to develop an inside passing game to complement the outside talent assembled in Cincinnati," Miller wrote. "Mayer is a throwback tight end who reminds me of T.J. Hockenson, showcasing an in-line blocking game and terrific seam game as a receiver. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Mayer had 67 catches for nine touchdowns in 2022 while playing in an offense without an established quarterback. And while he doesn't have elite speed or positional versatility, the top-ranked tight end in the class is a tremendous value at this spot, especially with Hayden Hurst hitting free agency."
CBSSports.com's Ryan Wilson also has the Bengals taking a tight end near the end of the first round. But Wilson has Cincinnati selecting Georgia's Darnell Washington after the Green Bay Packers take Mayer 15th overall.
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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Michael Mayer, Notre Dame TE, goes to Cincinnati in ESPN mock draft
