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While the proof will be in the pudding once the games start, on paper, it’s hard to criticize anything the Jets did on Day Two of the draft.
On paper, it was perfect.
They got the tight end they needed in the second round, landing LSU’s Mason Taylor, who could have easily gone at the end of the first round.
“Taylor to me is an emerging player in that everybody is comfortable with him,” said NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah. “He’s a safe player. He’s rock solid. He had a nice week at the Senior Bowl. Obviously everybody knows about his dad and uncle with Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas. The kid has been around football his whole life. He’s going to start the next eight, ten years. Just a steady, solid player.”
Even though he comes from a family of football royalty, with a father (defensive end Jason Taylor) and an uncle (linebacker Zach Taylor) in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Mason Taylor is very humble and has a tremendous attitude. He exudes zero entitlement. He’s very down-to-earth and hard working.
NFL Network during their broadcast compared as a prospect to Zach Ertz. The Jets would certainly sign up for a Zach Ertz kind of career from this kid.
While he had a good career at LSU, he is still only 20, and has plenty of room for growth, especially as a blocker and route-runner. The arrow is point up on this player.
As for Florida State cornerback Azareye’h Thomas, picked in the third round, he is a perfect fit for Aaron Glenn’s style of defense. While he’s not a burner, running just 4.58, he is a mauler in press conference, making it very hard for receivers to get off the line, and Glenn loves that about this game.
Glenn likes corners like this, and it’s one of the things that attracted him to free agent addition Brandon Stephen, a former Baltimore Raven, who is 6-1, 216.
Aside from being a big, physical corner who excels at bump-and-run and against the run, he’s got great football character, which was on full display this past season at Florida State.
The Seminoles had a surprisingly bad season in 2024, finishing 2-10, after having a great year in 2023, led by Jets QB Jordan Travis, before the signal-caller broke his leg late in the season.
But last season was a disaster, and in the day-and-age of guys hitting the portal at the first sign of adversity, Thomas showed incredible leadership in Tallahassee helping to hold the team together as best he could, and was a great attitudinal influence on the young players during a trying season.
He’s the kind of guy you want in a trench hole with you.
In a day and age where helicopter and lawnmower parenting leading to a lot of soft kids, you see more soft prospects than ever, who don’t handle adversity well.
This guy is old school.
So not only will he provide the Jets with a good, physical corner who dominates at the line, but when tough times hit, and they always do, he will likely be one of the young leaders to help the Jets navigate challenging waters.
On paper, this was a hell of a second day of the draft for the Jets.
April 25, 2025
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