Covington Catholic alum Michael Mayer has been selected by the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 35 in the 2023 NFL Draft.
After not having his name called on Thursday night in what many considered to be a surprise, Mayer didn’t have to wait long on Friday, the fourth pick of the day to start the second round. The junior tight end out of Notre Dame declared for the draft a year early and was the third tight end taken off the board.
He joins a Raiders team that is going through an offensive transition as Jimmy Garroppolo was signed in the offseason after the franchise released Derek Carr.
Mayer joins a tight end core with veteran Austin Hooper, OJ Howard, Jesper Horsted and Cole Fotheringham on the depth chart. The team traded away their top tight end target Darren Waller during the offseason to the New York Giants. Hooper and Howard signed in the offseason.
He’s the first Colonel to ever be drafted to the NFL in program history. In his high school playing days, Mayer was the 2019 Kentucky Mr. Football and also won the 2019 Gatorade Kentucky Football Player of the Year after recording 50 receptions for 970 yards and 15 touchdowns. In his Colonels career, Mayer recorded 110 receptions, 2,231 yards and 30 touchdowns, winning Class 5A titles in 2017 and ’19.
Mayer has been the most productive tight end in Notre Dame history in his three seasons with the Irish, collecting the most receiving yards all-time (2,009) receptions (180) and touchdowns (18). His 180 receptions are third all-time in the program.
Entering the draft on Thursday, Meyer was projected to go in the early to mid 20’s.
The last Northern Kentucky player taken in the draft was Holy Cross linebacker Derrick Barnes taken by the Detroit Lions in the fourth round in 2021.
Mayer watched the draft with family and friends in Independence on Thursday and was shown in a brief appearance on ESPN. The ESPN draft show teased Mayer possibly going to the Dallas Cowboys with the 26th pick, while many hoped the Bengals would add another offensive weapon to the mix with a hometown kid with the 28th pick.
Some other NKY notables taken in the NFL draft (Super Bowl era, since 1967):
- Lloyd Memorial wide receiver Charles Johnson by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round in 2013
- Highlands safety Mike Mitchell by the Oakland Raiders in the second round in 2009
- Boone County running back Shaun Alexander by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round in 2000
- Highlands linebacker Marty Moore by the New England Patriots in the seventh round in 1994
- Covington native Chuck Bradley by the Houston Oilers in the sixth round in 1993
- Scott kicker Doug Pelfrey by the Cincinnati Bengals in the eighth round in 1993
- Highlands defensive player Chuck Kyle by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round in 1989
- Dixie Heights linebacker/defensive end Mark Pike by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round in 1986
- Dixie Heights running back Larry Schreiber by the San Francisco 49ers in the 10th round in 1970