Mason Taylor just got major ESPN praise Jets fans can be hyped about

The NY Jets have earned a great deal of praise for their selections in the 2025 NFL Draft, and their decision to select LSU tight end Mason Taylor in the second round was one of the more heralded picks in that range.

The Jets had one of the worst tight end rooms in the league, and they chose to improve on their Tyler Conklin-less unit by selecting Taylor, the son of former Jet and Dolphins Hall of Famer Jason Taylor. ESPN has been very bullish on this class, and the Taylor pick is earning even more praise.

Field Yates of ESPN listed Taylor as the seventh-most-likely offensive rookie picked after Day 1 to contribute during the 2025 season. Taylor is the top primary pass-catcher on this list, as the six above him featured four running backs, guard Jonah Savaiinaea, and possible Saints starting quarterback Tyler Shough.

Taylor will be guaranteed a good chunk of targets early in his career, all of which could help him become someone who exceeds the career path most second-round picks end up on and emerge as the Jets' best tight end since Dustin Keller.

ESPN believes Jets' Mason Taylor will make a huge impact in 2025

Taylor will need to work on becoming a more reliable red zone target to really take off in the pros. While he can hold his own as a blocker, he will need to level up this area to help him emerge as the sort of tight end the Jets want to see him become.

Where he will thrive is as a safety valve for Justin Fields and others over the middle. Taylor had just one drop to his name last season, and his ability to pair that with some surprising mobility after the catch should make him a player the Jets can lean on in the next few years.

There's a good chance that Taylor has more receiving yards as a rookie than anyone in this class. Chicago's Colston Loveland might be fifth or sixth in the pecking order as far as targets go, Indianapolis' Tyler Warren could be let down by Anthony Richardson, and Seattle's Elijah Arroyo will need to win a starting job.

Fans need to be careful with how much power they're putting into the Taylor hype train, it's hard not to get carried away when envisioning his seamless fit into this offense if he lives up to his billing.