Getty Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels.
The Las Vegas Raiders could rely heavily on youth in 2023. The team failed to live up to expectations last season and had to retool. One of the most notable moves was to get younger at tight end by trading Darren Waller.
The team signed Austin Hooper and O.J. Howard to one-year deals but they wanted to find a long-term replacement in the draft. That’s why they traded up to add Michael Mayer in the second round. The Raiders are very high on the former Notre Dame tight end. However, Hooper is a two-time Pro Bowler and has been consistently productive throughout his career. He might start the season as the starter over Mayer. Despite his experience, David Kenyon of Bleacher Report believes that Las Vegas should bench Hooper in favor of starting Mayer:
Notre Dame product Michael Mayer turned in back-to-back seasons with at least 67 receptions, 808 yards and seven touchdowns. Mayer stood out as a reliable run-blocker for the Fighting Irish as well, leading Las Vegas to select him with the 35th overall pick in the draft.
Hooper will presumably land the first shot at the starting job, considering his experience in the NFL. But he’s also averaged a modest 408 yards over the last three seasons.
Las Vegas needs to start featuring Mayer as soon as possible.
Should Mayer Start for Raiders?
Mayer’s playing style has been compared to future Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski, who was coached by Josh McDaniels for most of his career. He’s a perfect fit in the Raiders’ offense. Mayer is only 21 years old so he’s young and has plenty of room to grow. Las Vegas could prefer to bring him along slowly.
That said, if he’s outperforming Hooper and Howard in training camp, there’s no reason to believe he won’t be a Week 1 starter. The two veteran tight ends are on one-year deals and aren’t the future of the position. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has had a lot of success with tight ends throughout his career and needs a reliable one. Hooper will have a role on the offense but it wouldn’t be a surprise if Mayer immediately has the biggest one.
PFF Predicts Big Year for Mayer
Mayer was supposed to be a first-round pick and the Raiders even tried to trade back into the first round to select him. Instead, they were able to get him in the second round. This could be good for Mayer as the Raiders are the perfect fit for his skill set. Pro Football Focus is expected big years from Mayer and first-round defensive end Tyree Wilson:
We knew it would be important for the Raiders to nail their first selection of the draft in the top 10. Tyree Wilson has a chance to be a high-impact player in Year 1 due to the fact that he should see a decent amount of one-on-one opportunities as teams focus on stopping Maxx Crosby on the other side of the line. As for the offense, trading Darren Waller this offseason was a big blow, but adding an experienced tight end like Michael Mayer in the second round means the Raiders can continue to emphasize that position in the passing game.
It’s one thing to look good on paper & another to perform on the field. I agree that if he has the best camp and performs as a number one, then he has earned the right to start day one!