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Jets' 'Safety Net' Tipped For Instant Impact For Justin Fields

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated May 13, 2025 9:02 AM ET

The New York Jets' offense was seen as Justin Fields, Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall prior to the NFL Draft.

With the thought of the franchise using the No. 7 pick on an offensive weapon for Fields, the Jets changed it up and selected Armand Membou with that pick.

But in the second round, the Jets got their weapon in LSU tight end Mason Taylor.

Coming to the franchise his Hall of Famer father, Jason, played for, Mason will look to carve out his own career and shoot straight to the top of the depth chart.

With rookies going through their paces at mini camp, ESPN's Field Yates has tipped Taylor to make an instant impact in Year 1.

"The Jets' hole at tight end was one of the most glaring position needs in the league entering the draft," Yates writes. "Their top returning player, Jeremy Ruckert, has zero touchdowns in three seasons. But Taylor is a pro-ready fix. He can hold his own as a blocker and has the ultrareliable hands necessary to work the middle of the field and provide a safety net for quarterback Justin Fields."

Taylor will overtake Jeremy Ruckart and Stone Smart in the tight end room, and he is seen as a security blankey for Fields.

The rookie tight end will look to form a nice duo with Fields. We know that Wilson will get most of the targets in this offense, maybe Josh Reynolds and Allen Lazard, too, but Taylor looms as one who can get open between the numbers when Fields is in trouble.

It will be an interesting offseason to see how Taylor develops the chemistry with his new teammates, and while Yates is predicting Taylor to be a key part of the offense, in truth, looking at the rest of New York's weapons, he simply has to hit the ground running in Year 1.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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