The New York Jets are asking fans to buy into potential at tight end. It's an understandable approach.
Mason Taylorflashed encouraging signs as a rookie. Then, there's first-round pick Kenyon Sadiq, who arrives with the kind of athletic profile that suggests he could become a featured weapon in the passing game
. Along with Jeremy Ruckert, New York one of the NFL's youngest and most intriguing tight end rooms.Outside of the organization, however, that optimism hasn't always translated into recognition.
Pro Football Focus released their preseason rankings of the NFL's top 32 tight ends, and the Jets didn't have a single representative. At first glance, that's hardly shocking.
Still, the omission also highlights one of the Jets' most intriguing storylines
entering 2026.
Taylor's rookie numbers won't overwhelm anyone. The former LSU Tigers standout finished with 44 receptions for 369 yards and one touchdown after being selected in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Those statistics, however, don't tell the entire story. Taylor wasn't the focal point of the Jets' passing game, and he spent much of the season catching passes in an offense that struggled to find consistency at quarterback. Despite those circumstances, he established himself as a reliable target while displaying the versatility teams covet from modern tight ends.
Rather than standing pat at what they have in their tight end room, the Jets doubled down during Round 1of the 2026 NFL Draft. By selecting Kenyon Sadiq, New York made it clear that it views tight end as a position capable of driving the offense.
Sadiq brings athleticism, versatility and the ability to create mismatches, while Taylor provides a dependable foundation built during his rookie season. Together, they give offensive coordinator Frank Reich one of the NFL's youngest - and potentially most dynamic - tight end duos.
That's exactly the kind of long-term investment successful organizations make.
The rankings don't have to define the future
There's nothing unfair about leaving the Jets out of this year's rankings. Neither Taylor nor Sadiq has earned that recognition yet. The encouraging news for New York is that both have every opportunity to change the narrative.
Taylor enters Year 2 with valuable experience already under his belt. Sadiq arrives with the expectations that accompany a first-round pick. If each takes the next step, the Jets won't simply have a deeper offense—they'll have a tight end room capable of earning the respect that wasn't there this preseason.
By this time next year, the conversation surrounding New York's tight ends could sound very different.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: Jets' young tight ends have a chance to change the narrative
