The Las Vegas Raiders have been busy this offseason. One of the surprising moves was trading away tight end Darren Waller to the New York Giants. However, the Raiders got their Waller replacement in the 2023 NFL Draft by selecting Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer.

Mayer was a common first-round selection in mock drafts but went to the Raiders at No. 35 overall. As such, Raiders Hall of Fame coach Tom Flores loves what he sees from Mayer, per Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.

“I liked what I saw. He has the size, he's well-built and he moves well.”

There is a lot to like about Michael Mayer's tape, and there's a reason he was a popular pick to go in the first round.

As a freshman, Mayer played in 12 games and caught 42 passes for 450 yards with two scores. His next two seasons were far better. In 2021, Mayer had 71 catches for 840 yards with seven scores, and in his final year in South Bend, he had 67 catches for 809 yards and nine scores.

Mayer is a tough guy to defend, and with the departure of Waller and Foster Moreau, there was no question the Raiders needed a tight end.

With Jimmy Garoppolo now at quarterback and Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers at wide receiver, the Raiders adding Mayer is a huge pickup. Josh Jacobs is back for one more year, at least, and the expectations in Las Vegas are much higher after a disappointing first year for Josh McDaniels.

Hopefully, Mayer lives up to the hype.