Analyst convinced young Raiders player is poised for breakout

The Las Vegas Raiders have been the subject of plenty of offseason hype, but a player who has gotten a surprising amount of attention this summer has been third-year tight end Michael Mayer.

A second-round pick of the Raiders in the 2023 NFL Draft, Mayer showed potential of how he can impact a NFL offense, but needed time to put it all together. When Brock Bowers arrived last year, however, the plans around Mayer changed drastically. Bowers’s emergence as a superstar, as well as Mayer’s decrease in targets and missing games due to personal issues, lead to speculation about a possible trade.

However, recent reports have indicated that Mayer is not only staying in Las Vegas, but could be ready to take the next step up under new head coach Pete Carroll.

Mayer is already making the right moves towards securing his future with the Raiders.

In his article detailing what has been happening in the offseason across the AFC, CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan took the time to highlight Mayer as a breakout candidate.

“Even with Brock Bowers entrenched as the top tight end on the depth chart, the Las Vegas Raiders seem to be looking at Michael Mayer and positioning him for a Year 3 breakout. Mayer missed time last season due to personal reasons, but head coach Pete Carroll did commend him for having a “great offseason” and noted that the two sides had met to detail their expectations,” wrote Sullivan.

The fact that Carroll and Mayer are discussing the season ahead is a promising sign, indicating that the latter has been designated with a substantial role.

If Mayer is going to emerge as a weapon for the Raiders, this would be an ideal time to do it. Opposing defenses will key in on Bowers and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, and speedsters such as Tre Tucker and Dont’e Thornton Jr. should space the field out vertically. That gives Mayer plenty of opportunity and space to operate that he has not had before.

With Mayer having this season and next remaining on his rookie contract, 2025 will be a pivotal one for the Notre Dame product.