The New York Jets are going to have to prove a lot of people wrong in 2025.
ESPN’s Mike Clay ranked every tight end group in the NFL. He labeled the Jets as having the “shakiest” TE room in the league heading into 2025.
“Second-round rookie Mason Taylor could make this designation look foolish, but there very well could be a lengthier learning curve here for the 21-year-old. Jason Taylor’s son will have a lot of pressure to deliver, as the Jets’ fallback options (Jeremy Ruckert, Stone Smartt, and Zack Kuntz) haven’t made much of an impact in the pros,” Clay explained.
Massive Bounce Back for Taylor at Jets Camp
All of the Jets’ eggs are in the Taylor basket at tight end.
When he went down with a high ankle sprain, that lack of depth in the TE room was on full display.
Taylor recovered quickly and made an emphatic return for the joint practice against the New York Giants this week.
He didn’t wear any additional padding or tape around the ankle on Tuesday, August 12.
If the Jets are all in on Taylor, they need him healthy. A high ankle sprain was a very concerning medical update; his return to the field quicker than anticipated was a collective sigh of relief for this organization.
Sneaky Fantasy Football Name to Consider
NFL Media Group fantasy analyst Michael Florio listed Taylor as a “less heralded rookie who could be worth a late-round flier in fantasy drafts.”
“Taylor is the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor — and the nephew of HOFer Zach Thomas. He has a very high football IQ and was consistently able to find the soft spot against zone coverage at LSU. He excelled as a catch-and-run option in the short-to-intermediate game,” Florio said.
“An ankle injury halted his progress a bit in training camp, but the Jets are searching for a consistent No. 2 target in the passing game behind star WR Garrett Wilson. (And they have been searching for consistent tight end production for decades.) This second-round draft pick has a chance to become that second target, and if he does, he’ll have weekly fantasy value,” Florio added.
Fantasy football expert Joe Bartel of RotoWire joined me on “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital.”
He revealed that he has walked away with Taylor in a lot of his fantasy drafts and has been very happy about it.
Unclear if Taylor Will Play in Preseason
Taylor didn’t suit up for the first preseason game versus the Green Bay Packers. He was still dealing with his high ankle sprain.
Head coach Aaron Glenn was cagey when asked if his starters would play against the New York Giants on Saturday, August 16.
If the starters are going to play, ESPN’s Rich Cimini predicted that they will, then Taylor should get some work.
He was a full participant earlier in the week, and there is no way to simulate the live bullets of a game.
Taylor has a path to being one of the leaders in targets on the Jets offense in 2025.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Jets Crushed for Having ‘Shakiest’ Positional Group in the NFL appeared first on Heavy Sports.