The Jets’ history at tight end is not exactly the greatest chapter in franchise history.
Since Mickey Shuler left in the late 1980s, the position has been filled by mostly underachieving players, and some years there has barely been any production from the position.
Names like Johnny Mitchell, Kyle Brady, Jace Amaro don’t exactly inspire good memories.
The 2026 team is hoping to reverse that trend.
The Jets have used premium picks on the position in each of the past two years and enter this season with the idea that their tight ends could be a major piece of their offense.
“I think we’re building something special in that tight end room,” said Mason Taylor, who is entering his second season.
On paper, it looks good.
Taylor was a second-round pick in 2025.
Now, he’s joined by Kenyon Sadiq, a first-round pick this year out of Oregon who is viewed as a Swiss Army knife player who can line up all over the formation.
Add in Jeremy Ruckert and Jelani Woods, and the Jets have a tight end group that should give new offensive coordinator Frank Reich some creative choices.
“There’s endless opportunities,” Taylor said. “If we can be that wild card where they don’t know what we can do, we’re going to be pretty dangerous.”
Taylor said he was “excited” when the team drafted Sadiq in April with the No. 16 overall pick.
Sadiq’s presence could cut Taylor’s playing time, but it also gives the Jets the chance to embrace one of the biggest offensive trends in football.
Teams are now using multiple tight ends more than in any time in recent memory.
Teams are using 12 (one back, two tight ends) or 13 (one back, three tight ends) personnel more and more.
The NFL had 1,845 total plays using three or more tight ends in 2025, the highest single-season mark since data tracking began in 2007, according to ESPN.
The Rams and coach Sean McVay led the way, using 13 personnel on 30.5 percent of their plays, more than double any other team in the league.
All of this led to 17 tight ends getting picked in the first five rounds of this year’s draft.
“I think the skill level of that position has taken a tremendous jump as far as size, speed,” Jets coach Aaron Glenn said. “To be able to bring that type of player on your team and to create a different type of personnel package, even though you’re in 13-personnel and you can create 21, you can create all of the packages that you want and be able to run those same plays.
“I think that’s the advantage that you get, because now, on defense, what are you going to play? Are you going to play base? Now we can spread you out and make these guys go one-on-one with your linebackers and safeties. Or do you want to go nickel and then we can pack it back in then we can pound the ball on you?
“Those are just the trends in this league, and the one thing that we look at quite a bit are the trends and how are we able to take advantage of that, too.”
Taylor had 44 catches for 369 yards and one touchdown in 13 games in his rookie season last year.
The entire offense was such a mess that it was hard to get a true evaluation of him as a player.
“I think it was good but not good enough,” Taylor said. “I’m really harsh on myself. I see it as a lot of room for improvement, which is a good thing.”
Taylor spent the offseason trying to improve his blocking and his yards-after-the-catch ability. He could have pouted when the team drafted Sadiq, but he said he sees it as exciting because it makes the team better.
Sadiq was the highest-rated tight end in the draft after scoring eight touchdowns for the Ducks last year.
The Jets have high hopes for Sadiq, who missed the spring after hernia surgery.
Now, he is trying to make up for missed time.
“He can do so many things,” Glenn said. “And he’s a very smart player, he can play at the X, he can play the Y-tight end, he can the F, he can play in the backfield. The thing that we have to be conscious of is we don’t overload him with positions to where he won’t be effective, and we’re mindful of that, we are. Mason is the same way, there’s a ton of things he can do and we see him as the same type of player.”
