Las Vegas Raiders 2023 NFL Draft: Early Superlatives
By Brad Weiss
Las Vegas Raiders 2023 NFL Draft: Early Superlatives
Biggest first-year impact: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
After staying put with their first round pick on Thursday night, it did not take the Las Vegas Raiders long to make a move to kick off the action on Friday. Holding pick No. 38 overall, Las Vegas traded up a few spots for selection No. 35, a selection they used on Notre Dame star tight end Michael Mayer.
Going into the draft, many felt that Mayer was the unquestioned No. 1 tight end in the draft class, which made him dropping to Day 2 a bit of a shock. Once again, Ziegler and his staff went best player available with their second-round pick, and Mayer has a real chance to be an immediate star at the next level.
Mayer has everything Josh McDaniels looks for in a starting tight end, possessing great route running skills, and good hands, and is a very capable blocker. Losing Darren Waller was a big hit for this offense, but Mayer will have a chance to slide right in at TE1, and of this year's draft class, should make the biggest impact right away.