When examining the Jets offense in its current state, one glaring hole stands out. Who exactly will be the team’s other wide receivers besides star Garrett Wilson?
The Jets have a group of underwhelming veterans — Allen Lazard, Josh Reynolds and Tyler Johnson — and some unproven players like Malachi Corley, Xavier Gipson and fourth-round pick Arian Smith.
Here’s one conclusion you can draw: The team’s second receiver may just not be a receiver.
Enter Mason Taylor, the tight end from LSU the Jets drafted in the second round.
Taylor looked good in rookie minicamp and he should be the team’s starting tight end in the fall.
Taylor left LSU as the school’s all-time leading receiver among tight ends with 129 receptions, 1,308 yards and six touchdowns.
Jets coach Aaron Glenn said the team has a “clear vision” for how they will utilize Taylor in this offense.
“Mason is exactly who we thought he was,” Glenn said during last weekend’s rookie camp. “He has dynamic movements. He can really catch the ball. He did a good job catching the ball away from his body. He’s quick to bring it in and get north and south exactly like we want.”
Taylor comes to the Jets with famous bloodlines.
His father, Jason, was a Hall of Fame defensive end who spent one year with the Jets but most of his career with the Dolphins. His uncle Zach Thomas was a Hall of Fame linebacker for the Dolphins.
“There’s high expectations, for sure, just because of the last name,” Taylor said. “But when people say, ‘Oh, let him have his shine, stop saying his dad’s name’ — I mean, I love it. We’re family, him and my Uncle Zach.
“I mean, I want to be like them, so you can call it ‘in their shadows,’ but I love modeling my game after theirs, their hard work. I know they’re on the defense, but just their hard work and how they weren’t highly recruited coming into the NFL — their hard work, consistency every single day. I mean, I look up to those guys, for sure.”
It will be interesting to see just how much the Jets feature Taylor.
New Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand comes from the Lions along with Glenn.
Lions tight end Sam LaPorta was targeted 83 times last season, the sixth most among NFL tight ends.
New Jets quarterback Justin Fields is known for targeting the tight end.
He had good chemistry with Cole Kmet when he was with the Bears, and Taylor could become a primary target for him.
Some believe Taylor has plenty of room still to grow after college.
He was part of an LSU offense that seemed to always have top wide receivers from Malik Nabers to Brian Thomas Jr.
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It is understandable why Taylor was not a focal point of the Tigers offense.
“I wouldn’t say my stats would be better without them,” Taylor said. “It was a blessing to play with them, and I would never trade that experience for anything. I played with Malik, B.T., Kyren [Lacy] and all those people. It was an unforgettable experience, and it’s something that’s helped my game definitely on the field, for sure.”
