Coaches, scouts, and personnel from the National Football League are diligent every year scouting prospects. But when your father his Hall of Fame defensive end Jason Taylor and your uncle is Hall of Fame linebacker Zach Thomas, teams might pay a little bit more attention and have more interest finding a way to add them to their respective franchises.
Let’s just say football is in tight end Mason Taylor’s DNA. A prep star for the well-known St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Florida, Taylor was a three-star recruit and committed to Louisiana State after receiving scholarship offers from over two dozen programs.
It didn’t take long for him to earn a role with the Tigers as he earned became a starter immediately as a true freshman. After a so-so sophomore campaign in 2023, he kicked his play up a notch this past season. He etched his way into the school’s record books with 55 receptions and became the first LSU tight end to amass over 100 receptions and 1,000 yards over the course of a collegiate career.
While the Denver Broncos did sign Evan Engram to a two-year deal during free agency, finding a long-term answer to the position still is worthy of early draft consideration. After Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland, it’s anyone’s best guess who might be the third tight end off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft. In my opinion, Taylor certainly merits that consideration and is a strong candidate to be the next player picked at the position.
Let’s take a deeper look at the LSU prospect, his strengths and weaknesses, and why he would be a home run addition to the Broncos’ tight end group.
Player Profile: Mason Taylor — Tight End — LSU
Height: 6’5” | Weight: 251 pounds | Arm Length: 32-1/4” | Hand Size: 10”
Pro Day Testing Results from March 26th:
40-yard dash: 4.65 seconds | Short Shuttle: 4.43 seconds | 3-Cone: 7.07 seconds | Bench Press: 28 reps
Statistics at LSU: 38 games played, 129 receptions, 1,308 yards, 6 touchdowns.
Film Room & Highlights
Hart’s Scouting Report
Positives:
Has the desired size and frame for the position with good athleticism
Battles hard in traffic and is tough at the catch point
Possesses some of the best hands of any tight end in this year’s draft
Savvy movement skills with a penchant for taking advantage of soft zone coverages
Shows promise with respect to yard after catch ability
Knack for making the big play in crucial moments
Reliable and durable with no major injury concerns
Lauded by teammates and coaches for work ethic and football intelligence
Hall of Fame NFL bloodlines
Negatives:
Strength and blocking technique need improvement to withstand rigors of NFL
While he has the ability to attack all three levels of the field, a lot of his production came from short throws or routes underneath in the flats
Given the aforementioned, he will need time to learn an expanded route tree with more responsibility
Lacks hefty experience as an in-line tight end
Hart’s Projection: Top 50 Selection | Second Round Value
Mason Taylor is an every-down tight end that can immediately impact an NFL team.
He is a big bodied pass catcher who wins at all three levels, at the catch point, and had just a 1.8% drop rate in 2024. He can also run and pass block inline.
High upside worth a day 2 pick. pic.twitter.com/bvfSm0T3tV
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) January 18, 2025
Why the Denver Broncos should consider drafting Taylor
Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland are widely regarded as the top two tight ends in this year’s class. As each day passes, it seems more and more likely Warren could be a Top 10 selection and Loveland could be off the board before the Broncos are scheduled to pick.
The battle for who becomes the third tight end off the board in this draft comes down to a few players. Without question, Taylor is one of them. He is my third-ranked tight end in this year’s class and someone I view as a legitimate number one tight end at the next level. Most everything he needs work on can develop in time with proper tutelage and coaching. His intangibles and traits you cannot teach certainly stick out amongst his peers at the position.
With the addition of Engram, the Broncos may wait a few rounds to address the tight end position in the draft. However, I firmly believe it shouldn’t preclude them from selecting a talented player in the first few rounds. Taylor would be a slam dunk selection for Denver in the second round.
That being said, if the Broncos want Taylor, I think they would have to move up and get him. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where a player of his caliber slips that far—especially when you consider how many teams could use an upgrade at the tight end position.