Getty
New York Jets tight end Mason Taylor reacting in the middle of an NFL game against the Carolina Panthers.
A sophomore surge.
Connor Long of Jets X-Factor told ESPN New York’s Jake Asman that he is predicting a Mason Taylor breakout season for the New York Jets in 2026.
“I’m a big Mason Taylor fan. I think he’s going to have a huge breakout season this year. The contested catch rate, coupled with Frank Reich’s historic tendencies. If you look at Reich’s time during his first year with the [Indianapolis] Colts, Eric Ebron led that team in receiving touchdowns with 13. Then his two seasons with the [Philadelphia] Eagles, Zach Ertz led the Eagles in touchdowns. So Reich likes to use his tight ends,” Long explained on “The Jake Asman Show.”
“Taylor’s contested catch rate shows he can become the Jets’ go-to target in the red zone. So I like what he possesses there and the upside that he can hopefully turn into production this year,” Long added.
Taylor, 22, has three years left on his $10.4 million rookie contract.
Former NFL Scout Explains Best Way to Use Jets Tight Ends
NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks joined me on “Boy Green Daily.” During our conversation, I asked him to share some advice with offensive cooridator Frank Reich on how to best maximize Mason Taylor and Kenyon Sadiq.
“Yeah, I actually think it’s a good thing [for Taylor that Sadiq was added]. A few different things have taken place in the league that’ll help him maximize it. Last year, there was an explosion of double tight ends or multiple tight end packages where you saw guys get into 12 personnel: one back, two tight ends, two wide receivers. 13 personnel, we also saw a lot of that come into play,” Brooks told me.
“I pulled up the stats last year, there were 1800 plays with 3 tight ends on the field … They amassed 2870 catches last year in the National Football League. So the Jets want to join in on the trend,” Brooks added.
“Going back to something that [Reich] said way, way back when he was with the Indianapolis Colts when they had Eric Ebron & others. He talked about when you have a matchup creator. A guy that can create mismatches much like a Kenyon Sadiq can do it is almost playing with LeBron James. Meaning I can put this tight end, who is a tough matchup for a lot of linebackers and safeties, on one side of the field in an iso situation & force the defense’s hand. How do they want to play him? Because the way they play him leaves vulnerable areas on the other side of the field,” Brooks told me on the podcast.
Life Is All About Perspective
Taylor was taken with the No. 42 overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft. He was the highest-drafted tight end by the Jets since 2008.
Just a year later, the Jets broke that streak. The green and white selected Sadiq with the No. 16 overall pick in the first round.
On the surface, Taylor could have perceived that new addition as bad news. The Jets took someone at his same position a year after he was taken. However, Brooks told me on the show that this should be good news for everyone involved.
Sadiq should be able to open things up for Taylor and vice versa. Reich loves tight ends. Plus, Taylor has an advantage over Sadiq. The talented Oregon rookie missed the last week of OTAs and mandatory minicamp; Taylor didn’t.
During this gap of time between minicamp and training camp, Taylor has gotten extra work in with Geno Smith this offseason. They are building chemistry, and you can’t simulate those reps.
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts a morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.
