Michael Mayer is in the mix as one of the top tight ends available in the 2023 NFL Draft. This week, he’ll join the large group of draft hopefuls heading to Indianapolis for the NFL Combine.

On Monday, PFF analyst Michael Renner put together a list of the top prospect to watch at every position during the combine. He had Mayer atop the list of TEs that will be on the field in Indy, but the reasoning of Renner has more to do with questions about Mayer’s speed and physical measurables.

Renner’s watching to see the weight Mayer checks in at for the combine and questions whether he can hit the 4.7-second mark in his 40-yard dash time:

…Mayer is here for his question marks. Specifically, his speed. Almost every impactful receiving tight end currently in the NFL ran a sub-4.7-second 40-yard dash before the draft. Mayer looks like he’ll be toeing that threshold next week. But then again, if he comes in at 265 pounds…speed will never be his game. While he produced a ton at Notre Dame, more of it came in contested situations than any of the other tight end in the class.

Mayer was the focal point of Notre Dame’s passing attack in 2022 while leading the team across the board with 67 catches for 809 yards and 9 touchdowns. He finished his Notre Dame career with back-to-back 800-yard seasons and has just over 2,000 yards receiving and 18 touchdowns during his time with the Irish.

Outlook for Mayer’s draft stock

If Mayer does check in north of 260 pounds, it would put him slightly heavier than some of the elite receiving TEs in the NFL such as Travis Kelce, George Kittle and Mark Andrews. However, that should not be seen as a death sentence to Mayer’s status as one of the top players available at the position.

Versatile TEs that can catch the ball in the passing game and work as a blocker will always be in high demand in the current NFL landscape. Mayer just needs to show he can move well enough to be serviceable in the passing game and find the team that has the right offensive fit for his skill set.