NY Jets could land former draft crush in obvious trade to fix glaring roster hole

The NY Jets are expected to be in the market for tight end help this offseason as the team's new regime hopes to find a solution to a position that has often been the Achilles heel of the Jets' offense in recent years.

The Jets have struggled to find consistent production at the tight end position, and while Tyler Conklin filled his role as a serviceable starter over the last three years, the organization is hoping to do better.

Conklin is not expected to return in 2025, leaving underwhelming former third-round pick Jeremy Ruckert as the only tight end under contract entering the offseason. The Jets are likely to explore the free-agent market in search of help, but there might be another option.

The Athletic is reporting that the Las Vegas Raiders are shopping former second-round pick Michael Mayer and have had discussions with teams about a potential trade. The Jets are an obvious landing spot.

NY Jets could explore a Michael Mayer trade

A second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Mayer was seen as one of the best tight ends in his draft class after a standout career at Notre Dame. The Kentucky native was seen as a high-floor tight end prospect and was even given plenty of first-round consideration.

The Jets famously had Mayer high atop their list of targets entering that year's draft. Some insight from the team's appearance on Hard Knocks that year suggests Mayer was their top target if Will McDonald was not on the board at pick No. 15.

Of course, that was under the previous regime, but it's worth noting that the Jets were high on Mayer just two years ago. His career in Las Vegas simply hasn’t taken off as many expected.

Mayer finished his rookie season with just 27 catches for 304 yards and two touchdowns despite playing 71 percent of his team's offensive snaps. The Notre Dame product was an effective in-line blocker but failed to make much of an impact in the passing game.

Things didn't get much better for Mayer after the Raiders selected Georgia's Brock Bowers 13th overall in the following draft. Bowers lived up to his generational hype, shattering the all-time rookie receiving record and establishing himself as arguably the best tight end in the NFL.

Mayer became an afterthought in the Raiders' offense, finishing the year with just 21 catches for 156 yards. That's why it doesn't come as much of a surprise that the Raiders are exploring trade options with the promising young tight end.

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It's hard to know exactly what Mayer's market value might be at this stage. He's a recent second-round pick who still has two years remaining on his rookie contract, but his production at the NFL level has been underwhelming.

The Jets would be wise to inquire about his availability, and if the price is right, they could do a lot worse than taking a swing on Mayer's upside. At the very least, he would provide the team with the best in-line blocker they've had at the position in years.

Mayer’s 65.0 Pro Football Focus run-blocking grade ranked 13th out of 73 qualified NFL tight ends last season. For comparison, Conklin’s 42.9 grade ranked 68th, while Ruckert’s 39.0 grade ranked 72nd, further highlighting the Jets’ glaring need at the position.

If the price tag makes sense, Michael Mayer is a logical trade target for the Jets.

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