Among the New York Jets who could take sizeable leaps in 2026, tight end Mason Taylor is atop the list.

Despite playing with three different quarterbacks during his rookie campaign, the 2025 second-round pick hauled in 44 of his 62 targets for 369 yards, the second most on the team, and a touchdown.

He was also successful on 11 of his 14 contested catch opportunities, equating to a 78.6% catch rate. It was the second-best mark among qualified tight ends behind only George Kittle.

Taylor is a prime candidate to really make his name known in 2026, and he has a golden opportunity to do that right away in Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans.

Taylor’s big chance

One of the Jets’ biggest advantages over the Titans is in the linebacker room. Tennessee lacks a strong linebacking core. That disadvantage may become even more apparent, as they could be without one of their starters and key defensive cogs: Cedric Gray.

Following a UTV accident over the weekend, Gray has been placed in the league’s concussion protocol, meaning it is far from a guarantee that he will be suiting up for Sunday’s game.

That’s a really tough blow for a Titans team that already lacks proven production in their LB room.

If Gray is unable to go, that most likely means that second-round rookie Anthony Hill Jr. will be asked to step into a starting role alongside veteran Cody Barton. That’s not an ideal pairing in coverage.

According to Pro Football Focus, Barton had a mediocre 56.9 coverage grade in 2025. Meanwhile, Hill will be making his NFL debut.

Given that, Taylor has a prime opportunity to get off to a hot start. Geno Smith has been one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the league since 2022, and Taylor is in a great situation to take advantage of that.

With a favorable matchup against Tennessee’s linebackers, Taylor has a perfect chance to create separation against whoever may be guarding him. Crossing routes, in particular, could be a fantastic way for the Jets to do damage with Taylor.

Also, the context of the Jets’ current situation at tight end is important to note. Due to a setback in his hernia procedure, New York’s first-round rookie TE Kenyon Sadiq missed a large chunk of training camp and the entirety of the preseason.

With that in mind, if Sadiq plays, he will most likely have a light workload. Not only did he miss playing time throughout the summer, but he also lost valuable time to learn the offensive playbook and carve out a role.

As a result, Taylor will likely not face much competition for targets in the TE room. It looks like Taylor will be comfortably leading the way, and beyond Sadiq, there is Jeremy Ruckert, who is more of a run-blocker, and Jelani Woods, the fourth tight end.

Taylor has a perfect chance to send a message right away.