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Mason Taylor has plenty of Hall of Fame DNA in his blood.
The rookie Jets tight end — drafted in the second round this spring — is the son of legendary pass rusher Jason Taylor and nephew of former star linebacker Zach Thomas.
Expectations are high for Taylor, who is likely to immediately slot in as the starting tight end.
He has a strong support system to handle — and meet — those expectations.
“My dad shot me a text, ‘Just stay where your feet are,’ ” Taylor said after practice on Saturday. “We always say that in our family — day by day, attack the day. Get better every single day, and really be where your feet are. Don’t look into the future or into the past, and just take advantage of every moment you get.”
Taylor was a strong pass catcher at LSU, recording 55 receptions for 546 yards and two touchdowns as a junior last year. His run blocking, though, was an area he needed to improve entering the draft.
Listed at 6-foot-5 and 251 pounds, Taylor has the physique to develop into a complete tight end. He’s confident he is making strides as a blocker.
“I think it’s really just diving back into the fundamentals of things, the footwork, hand placement, pad level,” Taylor said. “So those are things that I’m trying to get better on every single day. Learning from our tight ends, the coaches here, and really just emphasizing that, and pre-practice drills, the hand placement and everything like that. I’m kind of harping on that, and the importance of that has really been helping me as a blocker.
“So I say those little things really do add up.”
Head coach Aaron Glenn believes there’s another level to Breece Hall’s game that he hasn’t shown. Hall is entering a pivotal season individually, on the last year of his four-year rookie contract.
“You can do a lot with Breece,” Glenn said. “We’re gonna open his game up quite a bit. He’s the type of guy you can split out wide and let him run the route tree, because he can run it like a receiver. And I like that matchup with him against a safety or a linebacker. … I think this year, you’re gonna see a guy that’s really gonna turn it up a notch because of what we’re gonna do, who we’re gonna be and because of who he is also.”
Jermaine Johnson, who suffered a torn Achilles last year, posted on X on July 25 that he was “cleared.” He remains on the PUP list and has not yet joined his teammates on the field, though. Glenn said the expectation is still that Johnson will be ready for Week 1.
