Gang Green Nation
Taking a look at the Jets’ second round draft pick
The New York Jets drafted former LSU Tigers tight end Mason Taylor in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft. Today we break Taylor down in detail.
The 20-year old Taylor is listed at 6’5” and 251 pounds. He was a third team all-SEC selection in 2024. He caught 129 passes for 1,308 yards and six touchdowns in three seasons at LSU.
Background
Taylor is the son of Hall of Fame defensive end Jason Taylor, who spent most of his career with the Dolphins but was with the Jets in 2010. He headed to LSU as a four-star high school recruit and started the last 12 games of his freshman season in 2022.
Taylor ended that season with 38 catches for 414 yards and three touchdowns and looked set to take his game to another level in his sophomore season, but he suffered an injury in the second game of the year which caused him to miss one game and limited him for several weeks. As a result, his production was down slightly, and he ended up with 36 receptions for 348 yards and just one touchdown.
His junior year saw his role expand and he caught 55 passes for 546 yards and two scores before sitting out the team’s bowl game to prepare for an early entry into the draft.
Taylor opted not to work out at the NFL scouting combine, but he had a strong performance at his pro day and was regarded as a likely day two pick. The Jets selected Taylor in the second round with the 42nd overall pick.
Let’s move on to some more in-depth analysis of what Taylor brings to the table as a player, based on extensive research and film study.
Measurables/Athleticism
Taylor has decent size, although his length and catch radius are slightly below average for the position.
At his pro day workout, he impressed by running a 4.65 in the 40-yard dash and posting 28 bench press reps and a 7.06 three-cone drill. All three marks would have placed him in the top five at the scouting combine.
He didn’t participate in the broad jump or vertical jump and his short shuttle was below average for the position.
Usage
Taylor is a modern-style tight end who has lined up outside or in the slot more than half of the time. He lined up as a conventional tight end about 45 percent of the time, with a marginal decrease over the course of his career.
Even when he did line up as a conventional tight end, he typically was off the line of scrimmage and he regularly went in motion.
Downfield threat
Taylor was mostly used as a safety valve during his first two seasons and didn’t catch any downfield passes until his third year. He only averaged 10.1 yards per catch for his career and did not record a 40-yard play.
He’s not the kind of player you can...
