Finding Broncos: Scouting LSU TE Mason Taylor

The Denver Broncos signed a veteran tight end in Evan Engram, but they're still on the hunt with the NFL draft approaching. One of the top tight ends in the class is LSU's Mason Taylor.

Let's dive into Taylor's scouting report.

Biography

Taylor has the NFL in his blood. His father is Hall-of-Fame pass rusher Jason Taylor, and his uncle is fellow Hall-of-Fame linebacker Zach Thomas. Mason is only 20 years old, not turning 21 until after he hears his name called in the NFL draft, as his birthday is May 8.

Taylor committed to LSU out of high school and played there all three years of college football. 

Size & Athleticism

Taylor has the size (6-foot-5, 251 pounds) and athleticism you want for an NFL tight end. He has the traits to be moved around the formation where he can be used in the slot or as an in-line tight end. 

Key Statistic

Taylor played 2,381 snaps on offense over three seasons, 1,133 as a blocker and 1,248 as a receiver. His alignment splits for the 2024 season were split almost 50/50 as an inline tight end, as a receiver in the slot, or on the boundary. 

Pros

Taylor is considered one of this class's safer tight end prospects. He enters the NFL as a capable blocker and receiver with room for growth. In addition to his young age, despite the high floor, he still has a high ceiling. 

Taylor is a natural mover with good athleticism and can be a threat no matter where he lines up. He has developed a route tree that brings versatility to his offense. His hands are reliable, and he plucks the ball out of the air with natural hands.

When working through his routes, Taylor runs them like a natural route runner and has a good feel for defenders and how to stack them. He's a mismatch weapon without the elite athleticism because of the quality of route runner he is. 

Taylor is a natural ball-tracker and presents himself as a target quickly. He has a good sense of finding the soft spot in zone and giving the quarterback an option. If the line of scrimmage gets muddy, he has enough quickness to open up and be an immediate outlet for the quarterback. 

When blocking, Taylor uses sound technique with his hands and base. His body control keeps him in control and phase when blocking on the move. If he blocks out of the slot, he won’t lose reps often. 

Being the son and nephew of Hall-of-Famers, Taylor will know what it takes to be successful in the NFL, and coaches will love his family ties. 

Cons

Taylor isn’t much of a threat after the catch, only picking up 252 yards, or 4.6 yards after the catch per catch. When going through his routes, he can lose attention to detail, leading to rounded routes or a lack of speed variation to get natural separation. 

Taylor will need to work on his use of leverage through routes and spend some time adding strength to his game. Because of his strength and technical deficiencies, he will lose at times as a blocker when working in-line. There is a high floor with Taylor, but every aspect of his game needs polish. 

Fit With Broncos

Even with Engram in the fold, the Broncos still need to improve their tight end room. Adding someone as young as Taylor, who has a high floor and ceiling, would give Denver a valuable piece to develop behind Engram over the next two years.

Even with the polish Taylor needs, he can still contribute early in his career. There is enough to get him on the field, using reps to help his development.  

Draft Grade: Round 2