Jets hope the No. 42-overall pick can make an immediate impact at tight end at the Meadowlands
The Jets passed on arguably the top two tight ends in the draft when they picked at No. 7 in the first round. Instead, they addressed protecting the quarterback by taking T Armand Membou. Their patience paid off at No. 42 when LSU tight end Mason Taylor fell into the lap of Jets fans.
New York had a patchwork group of guys at the position for 2025 after Tyler Conklin set sail for Los Angeles, making this a position of need. Taylor will have the road paved ahead for him to slot in right in front of Jeremy Ruckert to start the season. In addition to fluid movement in the open field and reliable hands, Taylor is a very capable blocker. That has not gone unnoticed by the team that desires to run the ball and control the clock.
Before his selection to the Jets, Mason Taylor finished as a three-year starter at LSU marked by consistency. While he scored just six touchdowns over three seasons, he repeatedly increased his production, finishing with 129 catches for 1,308 yards. That’s no small feat for a tight end at Louisiana State, and his blocking and ability to find the sticks for first downs were paramount to continuing drives. The importance of that talent cannot be lost on New York, who provide QB Justin Fields with a security blanket.
Author: Sam Schneider (@BuyAndSellYou)
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Tyler Conklin is entering the final year of his contract and is one of the Jets’ offensive weapons who stands to benefit most from Aaron Rodgers under center.
Conklin has been “one of the stars” of OTAs, per Jets reporters, making multiple acrobatic catches and displaying chemistry with Aaron Rodgers. Though Conklin has never posted a stronger fantasy finish than TE 16 in a given season, Rodgers is no stranger to propelling middling TEs to fantasy relevance. This was on full display when Robert Tonyan finished as TE 4 in 2020, catching 11 Touchdowns from Rodgers. Tonyan hasn’t finished a season higher than TE 20 since.
Fantasy Managers shouldn’t be afraid to take a chance on Conklin and his potential upside, as he currently comes with an incredibly palatable ADP of 177 on Underdog. The Jets offense is expected to be much improved, and while Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson both come with incredibly steep asking prices this season, the best value on this offense could very well end up being Tyler Conklin.
