The Las Vegas Raiders may have raised some eyebrows when they selected tight end Brock Bowers in the first round of 2024 NFL Draft one year after using a Top-35 pick on Michael Mayer, but Tom Telesco's lone draft in charge of the Raiders proved to be a productive one after landing one of the best players in the league.
With Bowers having set records for tight end receptions and yards as a rookie, it makes sense to offload Mayer with pass-happy offensive coordinator Chip Kelly coming to town. However, not everyone believes that Mayer leaving Las Vegas is a lock, as Geno Smith could work wonders.
Pro Football Focus named Mayer to their 2025 All-Breakout team, citing the fact that the Raiders' wide receiver room being exceedingly thin could lead to some extra targets for Mayer. Smith's style of play might also help Mayer get his targets pumped up after a rough 2024 season.
PFF notes that Smith was in the Top 10 in terms of passes thrown to tight ends last season. While the Raiders will likely get very creative in deploying Bowers all over the offense, Mayer might be skilled enough to play a plurality of snaps and make the most of them.
Raiders TE Michael Mayer named on PFF's All-Breakout team
Mayer is a much better blocker than Bowers, which could appeal to a coach in Pete Carroll who loves to establish dominant ground games. Kelly's offense may not feature many tight ends with gaudy passing numbers, but he has often prioritized strong blockers at the position.
Mayer, who was dealing with a personal issue last season, didn't hit 200 yards or find the end zone once last year. However, the poor coaching staff and lackluster quarterback play, on top of Bowers taking many of his targets away, would be difficult for anyone to overcome.
Just a few years ago, Mayer was regarded as a complete, high-floor tight end coming out of Notre Dame who was regarded as a major steal when the Raiders picked him. The talent is there, and it's on Kelly and Carroll to make sure that he can either realize his full potential or get shipped out of town quickly.
