Addition of TE Bryant Allows Mayer to be Himself

The Las Vegas Raiders struggled to consistently use rookie TE Michael Mayer last season, but the addition of Harrison Bryant should help them do so next season.

The Las Vegas Raiders traded an additional draft pick in last year’s NFL Draft to trade up and select tight end Michael Mayer in the second round. Although nearly all draft picks are valuable, the Raiders were able to select him for minimal compensation in the trade-up. 

Mayer was arguably the top tight end in the draft. The player the Raiders got in Mayer was better than the player they would have chosen with the additional pick they traded away to get him. Mayer, alone, is a talent to behold.

Heading into next season, Las Vegas will add him to a receiving unit containing Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker, who has proven to be a potentially decisive third receiving option for the Raiders.

Mayer now enters his second season in the league and plays for a coach who cares more about playing to his players' strengths than putting his rookie players through challenging situations for the sake of welcoming them to the league. Last season, the Raiders routinely used Mayer to block in the run game, even though, at the time, they had one of the worst rushing attacks in the league. They would often have Mayer in the game with no plans of incorporating him into the offense outside of blocking, even though the offense was struggling mightily.

However, part of the issue was that there was only one football. Not only did the Raiders have arguably the best receiver in the league demanding touches, but they also had the previous season’s league-leading rusher (running back Josh Jacobs) on the same offense, demanding 20 to 25 carries a game. They also had a veteran tight end in Austin Hooper, who had proven he could be a legitimate pass catcher.

That left little to no extra passes for Mayer, who has the potential to be a productive pass-catching tight end in the league. 

As next season approaches, the Raiders' offense is already significantly different. Hooper is gone, and so is Jacobs, and the Raiders have added tight end Harrison Bryant to their roster. The Raiders have a new offensive coordinator, Luke Getsy, who has better weapons on offense than he did at his last gig. 

The addition of Bryant allows the Raiders to use him more as their blocking tight end than Mayer, who is the better pass-catching option. Since being drafted in 2020, Bryant has played 65 games and recorded 791 receiving yards. Mayer missed three games during his rookie season and registered 304 receiving yards. 

While Mayer will undoubtedly continue to block when called upon, the addition of Bryant allows the emphasis for Mayer to be less about making him a better blocker and more about allowing him to be the legitimate pass-catching option he has the potential to be. If he is used correctly, Mayer can potentially unlock the Raiders' offense.

The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently have the No. 13 overall pick.

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