One thing the New York Jets do not get enough praise for is how well the team has drafted this decade. The 2022 draft class has the potential to go down as one of the best drafts in Jets’ history. This year’s class, though much less sexy, has the potential to produce several starters as well.
One rookie in particular who has been receiving praise all camp is rookie tight end Mason Taylor. Taylor was selected with the 42nd overall pick and many analysts considered it a steal at the time. The son of NFL Hall of Famer Jason Taylor, Mason is a six-foot-five traditional tight end who loves to get dirty in the run game.
His silent work has gained the appreciation of seemingly everybody in the building, including a tight ends best friend.
“Mason, he doesn’t talk a lot, he does work a lot, though,” quarterback Justin Fields said. “From the moment he got here, he’s been working, his head down working. He doesn’t make really any mental mistakes, at least from what I’ve seen. He’s a great route runner, he’s smooth, has natural hands, so he’s been great so far.”
Coaching Staff Compliments Mason Taylor
When the new coaching staff let Tyler Conklin walk, that should’ve been the first sign to fans everywhere that this kid was the real deal.
As an NFL Draft prospect, Taylor’s intangibles and family legacy stood out the most. But since arriving in East Rutherford, he has surprised head coach Aaron Glenn with just how well rounded he is.
“The receiving skills, listen, that doesn’t surprise me, I know he can do that,” Glenn said. “His blocking, I know he can block, but I didn’t think it was going to be this good. So, I’m excited to see how he matures when it comes to camp on how we want to do things as far as that is concerned.”
But the man he really needs to impress is new offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand. Engstrand has said that he plans to implement an offense heavily predicated on play action passes that feed off a dominant running game. This is music to a tight end’s ears. He also joined in on the compliment parade.
“I see growth and development out of Mason,” Engstrand said. “He’s on the path to becoming what we expected and hoped he could be. And he’s done a really nice job this camp in the pass game and in the run game as well. So, again, daily improvement by him, and we’re excited to see where that continues to go.”
‘He’s A Dog’ Star Garrett Wilson Says
In an article published on the team’s website Saturday evening, the Taylor praise continued. It included more comments from Engstrand, a nice exchange between Mason and his father Jason, as well as some more teammate testimonials.
But my favorite quote from the piece came from none other than new hundred-millionaire Garrett Wilson.
“He’s a dog,” Wilson said. “It’s consistent work. Consistent work is the best way I can put it. He’s got great hands. He trusts his hands, and he finds a way to be open when he needs to be. Then the ball finds him and he makes the play. You know, for a position like that, he’s as good as I’ve seen in just making the play, finishing the play and being open. That’s a position where if you can do that for a long time, you are going to make a lot of money. So, I think he’s got a bright future ahead of him, and he’s really going to help us this year because he’s a great player. He came in ready.”
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