Jets rookie tight end Mason Taylor brings a professional pedigree with him to his first NFL training camp. By now, it's common knowledge that he's related to two members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame: his dad, Jason (who played for the Jets in 2010), and his uncle Zach Thomas (who battled the Green & White during his 12 seasons with the Dolphins).
And along with those strong bloodlines comes advice and various words of wisdom that the rookie mentioned after practice on Saturday morning at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center.
"My dad shot me a text, really 'just stay where your feet are,' " Taylor said. "I mean, 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 has already had some strong moments through the first two weeks in camp. He's made some good catches and flashed his ability in the passing game. In his last season at LSU, he set personal highs with 55 catches -- the school single-season record for the position -- and 546 receiving yards. But as he's well aware, an NFL tight end is expected to put his body into supporting the run game, and that means improving on his blocking, a skill he needs to develop and perfect.
"I see growth and development out of Mason," OC Tanner Engstrand said. "He's on the path to becoming what we expected and hoped he could be. And he's done a really nice job this camp in the pass game and in the run game as well. So, again, daily improvement by him, and we're excited to see where that continues to go. Again, he and the quarterbacks as well are developing a nice rapport, which is good."
Selected in the second round (No. 42 overall) in April's NFL Draft, Taylor (6-5, 255) caught at least one pass in 28 straight games, becoming the first 100-reception (129), 1,000-yard tight end (1,308) in LSU football history. When it comes to evolving into a more complete tight end, he said he's embraced the challenge.
"I think it's really just diving back into the fundamentals of things, the footwork, hand placement, pad level," he 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."
As the Green & White prepare for next Saturday's preseason opener at Green Bay, Taylor said he's begun to develop good rapport with QB Justin Fields, and has even drawn compliments from WR Garrett Wilson.
"He's a dog," Wilson said. "It's consistent work. Consistent work is the best way I can put it. He's got great hands. He trusts his hands, and he finds a way to be open when he needs to be. Then the ball finds him and he makes the play. You know, for a position like that, he's as good as I've seen in just making the play, finishing the play and being open. That's a position where if you can do that for a long time, you are going to make a lot of money. So, I think he's got a bright future ahead of him, and he's really going to help us this year because he's a great player. He came in ready."
Taylor joins a revamped tight ends room after the departure in free agency of Tyler Conklin. Jeremy Ruckert returns for his fourth season, the Jets signed Stone Smartt in free agency, and Zack Kuntzand Neal Johnson (both first year pros) remain in the picture.
Taylor acknowledges that even for an accomplished college player, succeeding in camp and later is all about details.
"Our offense is really detailed, and that's from your split to where you're supposed to be, to how many steps you're supposed to be on the top of the route, to your blocking rules," he said. "I think it's really detailed, and we just got to be on top of those things. So when it gets hot out, when you're tired, it's one of those things that if you're a yard outside the numbers, and you're really supposed to be 2 yards outside the numbers, you're getting out. So I mean, those little things do add up, and really just locking into those details on and off the field is really, really important."
