Dallas Cowboys Draft: Home Run, Base Hit or Strike Out?

Michael Mayer gets the title ‘base hit’ but he could end up being a double or a triple for the Dallas Cowboys. He is one of the more solid prospects to leave Notre Dame. He also carries a second title as the best tight end in their school’s history. In this draft, he is considered one of the two top prosects at the tight end position.

Pro Football Focus has him rated as the 28th best prospect. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com has him ranked as the 21st best prospect and Sportingnews has him ranked as the 11th best prospect. I’m not sure if I agree with the last rankings but the point is he is almost a lock for the 1st round.

At pick 26, the Dallas Cowboys drafting Michael Mayer would fall into the category of one of the safer, high-floor picks. Dallas loves their two-way tight ends even though historically they haven’t used high draft capital to pick them. With Mayer, Dallas would get someone who is comfortable moving across zones and finding the soft spot to be an available option for Dak Prescott. He doesn’t have elite straight-line speed, but he has good functional speed for the position which is all that is needed.

Dallas gets the most complete tight end prospect in the draft. Both Mayer and Ferguson are not dominant blockers like a Darnell Washington, but both are willing blockers and are strong at the point of attack. Throw in Peyton Hendershot and the Cowboys would have a formidable trio at the position for the next five years.

Mayer isn’t considered a game breaker like Dalton Kincaid or a freak of nature like Washington but he consistent, reliable and the team would know what they are getting. The flip side or the ‘opportunity cost’ of selecting someone like Mayer is not using the pick on someone like a Bijan Robinson who may be available or need-based prospect like Steve Avila. In Mel Kiper and Dane Brugler’s recent mock drafts, they both have Dallas going with the steady tight end.

Yes, singles and doubles may not make for the most exciting baseball game but if you get enough of those you have a chance to win the game. The more players like Michael Mayer the Dallas Cowboys get the closer they will be to getting to their destination.