The tight end position remains a need for the New York Jets.
It was one of the team’s most glaring needs entering the offseason, but the Jets did not make a substantial move to address it until the second round of the draft. With the 42nd overall pick, they finally secured a solution in LSU’s Mason Taylor, who currently projects as the team’s TE1.
However, the depth behind Taylor remains shaky, with Jeremy Ruckert and Stone Smartt projected to compete for the TE2 role. This has led to continued speculation about whether the Jets might add another player to the room, potentially via trade.
Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert had been the subject of trade rumors throughout the offseason, occasionally being linked to the Jets due to their need at the position. This option has come off the board, though.
On Wednesday, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that Goedert and the Eagles had agreed to a reworked deal that will keep him in Philadelphia for the 2025 season.
With Goedert off the board, the Jets are running out of feasible paths to improve their tight end unit – particularly in terms of blocking.
The Jets lack blocking talent in their tight end room. Ruckert and Smartt have been poor blockers in the NFL. Taylor has the potential to be a solid blocker, but needs significant development after he struggled with it in college.
Unfortunately for New York, the free agent market is devoid of quality options in the blocking department. Among current free agent tight ends who played at least 100 run-blocking snaps in 2024, the only one with an above-average run-blocking grade at Pro Football Focus was Marcedes Lewis, who will soon turn 41.
Taylor brings fantastic receiving skills to the Jets’ tight end room. In 2024, he caught 55 passes while dropping only one. He is also a great athlete for the position, running an unofficial 4.65 in the 40-yard dash at LSU’s pro day. Former NFL offensive lineman Brian Baldinger compared him to Travis Kelce.
However, tight end blocking will be vital in the Jets’ run-heavy offense around Justin Fields. As currently constructed, the Jets are poised to rely much too heavily on the 21-year-old rookie to develop his blocking in a hurry. It would be beneficial to have a veteran tight end who could alleviate pressure from Taylor as a blocker in his rookie season.
Time will tell whether the Jets agree or are content to bank on their coaching staff to develop the tight end unit, just as they plan to do at many positions.
