Las Vegas sent picks 38 and 141 to Indianapolis to move three…
Las Vegas sent picks 38 and 141 to Indianapolis to move three spots for tight end Michael Mayer. Mayer has started 32 games and produced 83 catches for 788 yards and three touchdowns through three seasons, useful production but below the expectations attached to the move. Indianapolis immediately traded No. 38 again and later moved No. 141, multiplying its draft capital. The Colts’ flexibility and Mayer’s modest output give Indianapolis the better side.
Indianapolis Colts Received
- pick 2023 2nd round pick (38th overall subsequently traded, Matthew Bergeron )
- pick 2023 5th round pick (141st overall subsequently traded, Jaquelin Roy )
Las Vegas Raiders Received
- pick 2023 2nd round pick (35th overall, Michael Mayer)
Trade Analysis
Las Vegas traded up three spots early in the 2023 second round because it did not want to lose Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer. The Raiders sent picks 38 and 141 to Indianapolis for No. 35. Mayer had been one of college football’s most productive tight ends, and Las Vegas viewed him as a complete player who could contribute as both a receiver and an in-line tight end.
Mayer has become a regular NFL starter, but his receiving production has been modest. He caught 27 passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie, 21 for 156 yards in 2024 and 35 for 328 yards with one score in 2025. Through three seasons he has 83 receptions, 788 yards and three touchdowns while starting 32 of 38 games. Those numbers have value, especially because his role includes blocking, but they do not represent a major return on a trade-up for a pass-catching tight end.
Indianapolis never treated picks 38 and 141 as final destinations. The Colts moved No. 38 to Atlanta for picks 44 and 110, then selected cornerback Julius Brents at 44 and used the additional capital elsewhere. They later sent No. 141 to Minnesota for picks 158 and 211. The important point is not to credit Matthew Bergeron or Jaquelin Roy to Indianapolis simply because those players were ultimately selected at the original slots. The Colts repeatedly converted the Raiders’ package into additional opportunities.
That flexibility matters because Las Vegas paid extra capital to target a player who has become more complementary than transformational. Mayer remains young and could still have his best seasons ahead, so the Raiders should not receive a failing grade. But the trade-up has not produced enough separation to justify the opportunity cost.
A B for Indianapolis and C for Las Vegas better reflects the hindsight result. The Colts win because they created multiple draft assets while the Raiders’ targeted player has delivered ordinary starting-tight-end production rather than star-level value.