Position at a Glance in '26
Offensive coordinator Frank Reich was up front through minicamp and OTAs about his intention to accentuate the running attack behind a strong offensive line and with a triple-threat backfield led by Breece Hall.
A key component to the ground game in the 2026 NFL season will be the play of tight ends Kenyon Sadiq (a first-round selection, No. 16 overall, in April), Mason Taylor (a second-round pick, No. 42 overall, last year) and fourth-year man Jeremy Ruckert. Reich said he has designs on employing multiple tight end sets, including 12 personnel (with a pair of tight ends) -- and even 13 personnel with the trio on the field at the same time. That's not to minimize the pass-catching skills in the TE room, especially with Sadiq, potentially a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses.
Last season, with WR1 Garrett Wilson limited to 7 games because of a knee injury, Taylor (who ended the season on injured reserve with a neck injury) ended up leading the team in receptions (44), targets (65) and yards (365).
"Some of it was being schemed, a little bit of schematics being schemed open in those areas, but also being that dude where no one's going to tackle me and having that mentality for that run after catch, kind of that explosive play mentality, is something I'm looking forward to this year," Taylor said.
Veteran Jelani Woods, 27, who re-signed with the Jets in March.
Storyline to Watch
Kenyon Sadiq missed mandatory minicamp and OTAs after undergoing hernia surgery, but he's said he's excited about the possibilities teaming with Mason Taylor and Jeremy Ruckert.
"He [Taylor] does a lot of things really well, whether it's a run game or the pass game, but it's just really about I think the possibilities are kind of endless," Sadiq said. "And with Jeremy in there, really, we can do whatever they want. And I think it's pretty unique and pretty cool, and it kind of just opens it up for everyone."
For the Jets, adding firepower on offense, at tight end and with the drafting of WR Omar Cooper Jr., was an important goal during the offseason. At Oregon, Sadiq (6-3, 241) in 14 games last season hauled in 51 passes for 560 yards (11.0 per catch) and 8 TDs in being honored as the Big Ten Tight End of the Year.
His size makes Sadiq an imposing talent down the field, but he doesn't shy away from getting physical along the line of scrimmage.
"Yeah, go hit someone, for sure," he said. "You don't really care who it is. I'm going to go hit someone. You know, if I'm going to lose a rep, I'm going to lose it. You know, trying to give it my all. It's kind of my own mentality that I've kind of carried throughout my career."
Though it was a moderate surprise when the Jets used their second pick in the first round to select Sadiq, GM Darren Mougey said Sadiq had been on the Jets' radar all along.
"Sadiq was a player that, obviously we studied, spent a lot of time on and valued as an offensive weapon and when he was there it was really a no-brainer for us, just to add another weapon to the offense," Mougey said during the draft in late April. "Frank's got a great vision for the player and how we can use him in multiple ways and get in 12-personnel, and do different things and just use him as another weapon and make it tough on the defense."
What They're Saying
The Jets have snapped up tight ends in the last two NFL Drafts -- Taylor in 2025 and Sadiq this past April -- after adding Long Island native Ruckert in the 2022 draft. Taylor and Sadiq are seen as dangerous pass catchers over the middle. During OTAs, HC Aaron Glenn talked about Ruckert's role and the versatility in the TEs room.
"Listen, no different than what I talked about last year," Glenn said, referring to Ruckert. "He's a versatile player, and I when I say that, he's a guy that can play in-line at the Y tight end, he's a guy that we could actually flex out and use him in pass patterns, but I think we have a really good mix when it comes to the tight end room. Somebody that's versatile like he is, then you got Mason man, who's really growing in that aspect of being versatile, we know what he can do in the passing game. Then with Sadiq, we know that he's just a matchup nightmare. I'm happy about that room. I think those guys will do good for us, so I'm excited to see how they'll operate during training camp."
| Jets Player | Exper in '26 | '25 GP-GS-DNP-IA | '25 O-ST--Total Snaps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mason Taylor | 2nd | 13 - 11 - 0 - 3 | 654 - 3 - 657 |
| Jeremy Ruckert | 5th | 17 - 15 - 0 - 0 | 494 - 120 - 614 |
| Jelani Woods | 5th | 4 - 0 - 1 - 12 | 60 - 12 - 72 |
| Kenyon Sadiq | R | .................... | .................... |
| Chase Curtis | R | .................... | .................... |
Finished '25 Season on IR: Taylor
Draft Choice in '26: Sadiq (Rd. 1, 16th overall)
Undrafted Rookie Free Agent in '26: Curtis
TE Trivia
Before a neck injury shelved him late in the year, rookie TE Mason Taylor was productive as advertised. His 44 catches in his 13 games (including his first pro TD catch at Cincinnati) enabled him to become the first tight end to lead the Jets in receptions since Dustin Keller in 2010 and '11. The only other TEs to lead the Jets in catches: Mickey Shuler (1984, '85) and Richard Caster ('72, '75). Jerome Barkum also led the G&W in receptions but before he was first listed as a TE in '77.
