MOBILE, Ala. — He has the rare pedigree to have both a father and uncle in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but LSU tight end Mason Taylor — son of edge rusher Jason Taylor, nephew of linebacker Zach Thomas — will make his splash in the NFL on the offensive side of the ball.
“He grew up around defensive guys, so he has that toughness and grit side to him,” said Jason while watching practice Thursday at the Senior Bowl as his son prepares for the NFL Draft. “He’s an ultra competitor; he’s tough as nails. Doesn’t show pain. He’ll put his face in the block. He’s just that kind of guy.”
After three years at LSU, Taylor is one of the draft’s youngest prospects, still only 20 years old, but he’s physically imposing the same way his father was. Dad played at 6-foot-6, 244 pounds, and Taylor is already listed at 6-5, 255, presenting a big target for quarterbacks. He also grew up immersed in the NFL world, so he understands the demands of being a pro athlete and the commitment required to play at an elite level.
“My uncle and my dad, they always told me there are no shortcuts in this game,” Mason said. “It’s all about hard work. They weren’t the two heaviest guys coming out of high school and college, but their work ethic, they put their head down and tried to be as consistent as possible every snap.”
Taylor might also get a boost from the recent success of offensive stars from LSU. He was teammates in 2022-23 with quarterback Jayden Daniels and receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr., three of the best rookies in the NFL this season. One thing Taylor shares with them is self-confidence, which comes from physical and mental readiness.
“The mentality part, it all starts with your confidence — confidence in your technique, getting yourself in the right position,” he said.
Mason said he started out in youth football on the defensive side and played well there, but ahead of his freshman year of high school at Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, it was his father who suggested he had a skill set that would translate to offense.
“He wanted to blaze his own path, do it his own way,” his father said.
The NFL has seen a surge in rookie impact from tight ends in recent years. In the past four seasons, there have been five rookie tight ends with at least 50 catches: Brock Bowers in 2024, Sam LaPorta and Dalton Kincaid in 2023, and Pat Freiermuth and Kyle Pitts in 2021. That’s after just one such season in the previous seven years, so tight end is now seen as a position where the right prospect can step in and help immediately.
Taylor’s father and uncle have also told him not to sweat when he’s drafted. Jason was selected in the third round in 1997, and Thomas was drafted in the fifth round in 1996, and they went on to play 15 and 13 years, respectively, on their way to Canton. With a strong showing in Saturday’s Senior Bowl and next month’s NFL Combine workouts, Taylor can help his draft stock. His prospect grade by Next Gen Stats projects him as a “plus starter” eventually.
Jason said he has learned over the years to enjoy his son’s football journey as a father and nothing more.
“I just stand back and watch, support and smile. It’s a hell of a lot more stressful [than playing],” he said. “It’s less painful but very stressful. I stay out of it, though. I had this theory for parents from when I was coaching youth ball: Shut up and clap. I try to do it that way.”
Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He previously spent a decade covering the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.
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