LSU Tight End Mason Taylor Beats His Father By Going In 2nd Round To New York Jets

GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor

Former LSU tight end Mason Taylor bested his father, Jason Taylor, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame after playing for Miami, Washington and the New York Jets.

The younger Taylor went as the 10th pick in the second round of the NFL Draft Friday night as the 42nd overall pick to the New York Jets. His father went in the third round as the 73rd overall pick of the 1997 draft to Miami.

LSU’s EMERY JONES, SAI’VION JONES PICKED IN LATE 3RD ROUND

Two other LSU players went late in the third round – offensive tackle Emery Jones as the 27th pick of the round and 91st overall to the Baltimore Ravens and defensive end Sai’vion Jones to Denver as the second-to-last pick of the third at 37 and 101 overall.

Mason Taylor was projected as a third-round pick as well through most of the off-season, but NFL Draft expert Mike Detillier did tell Tiger Rag Radio on Tuesday that there was talk of Taylor going in the late first round or early second round.

“He catches the ball so smoothly,” Detillier said. “Is a rugged runner after the reception. Has gotten better as a blocker. There’s been some buzz by some teams for late in round one. I have him as a very early second-round pick.”

MASON TAYLOR AT THE SENIOR BOWL

Taylor impressed the multitude of NFL executives and draft personnel at the Senior Bowl practices in Mobile, Alabama, in January.

“Mason Taylor is what we all thought he was,” LSU coach Brian Kelly told Tiger Rag after a Senior Bowl practice. “And that is a extremely talented tight end who shows himself against the very best. And we all knew that coming in.”

Jason Taylor also spoke to reporters at the Senior Bowl.

“They know he can play,” he said. “They saw him play for three years in Baton Rouge. They saw what he could do. They see his maturity level in interviews – his football maturity, his maturity in life. He is a young guy, just 20, but mature beyond his years. He came out here and had a heck of a week.”

Taylor finished his three-year career at LSU as the Tigers’ all-time leading tight end receiver with 129 catches for 1,308 yards, six touchdowns and one very important two-point conversion catch. That beat one of his dad’s head coaches while at Miami – Nick Saban when he was Alabama’s coach in the 2022 season. The overtime catch defeated Alabama, 32-31, in overtime in Kelly’s first season.

WILL CAMPBELL CHOKES UP, BUT RECOVERS STRONG

Taylor was the second LSU player taken in the NFL Draft. Offensive tackle Will Campbell was the fourth pick of the draft by New England on Thursday night.

Other LSU players expected to be drafted in the fourth or fifth rounds on Saturday are defensive end Bradyn Swinson and guard Miles Frazier. Running back Josh Williams and guard Garrett Dellinger possibly could go in the sixth or the seventh, which is the final round.