Hyped Jets rookie already thriving with starters at OTAs

Aaron Glenn may be a defensive-minded head coach, but it will be the other side of the ball that inevitably turns the New York Jets around. Any time this team is even the least bit good, defense usually carries the way. That being said, when the Jets are firing on all cylinders, it is the offense taking flight. Apparently, Glenn and Darren Mougey knew what they were doing with this draft pick.

By taking tight end Mason Taylor out of LSU in the second round, Gang Green is banking on him being a vibrant part of the Jets' offense for years to come. Taylor was both a productive and incredibly clutch player from his time playing in the SEC. He initially caught passes from Jayden Daniels before doing the same last year with Garrett Nussmeier. The guy is dripping obvious NFL pedigree as well.

Being the son of Miami Dolphins legend Jason Taylor cannot be easy, but Taylor makes it look easy with his great hands and spatial awareness for a tight end. He is already turning heads at Jets OTAs. As it is with everything, a tight end is often a new quarterback's safety valve. If he can continue to get on the same page with incoming veteran quarterback Justin Fields, then the sky is the limit for Taylor.

If all goes according to plan, New York could finish in second place and maybe make the playoffs.

The Jets are still a dysfunctional organization, but the new coaching regime does give me hope.

Why Mason Taylor could be a difference-maker for the New York Jets

Obviously, there is a lot working for Taylor coming into the NFL. Yes, he may be playing for one of the longest struggling teams in the league, but he has the mental makeup and the skills to overcome seemingly any situation. His father may be a hall of famer, but he was only a third-round pick out of Akron way back in the day. The other big thing I like about Taylor's game is how he takes to coaching.

Love him or hate him, Brian Kelly knows what he is doing when it comes to offensive line and tight end play. The Bayou Bengals look to be just as good in both departments three years in as Notre Dame football did when Kelly was calling the shots in South Bend. Kelly gets his linemen and tight ends ready to play on Sundays. I would not be the least bit surprised if Taylor becomes a star in this league.

What is most important for him is to stay healthy and keep his head up. Rampant losing can get to anyone. The Jets do a lot of losing. While it usually has to get worse before it gets better, all it takes is for a handful of new faces to come in and change the entire paradigm of a situation. We have to remember Taylor is only a kid, but he is a new pillar in which this era of Jets football will be built on.

Even if Fields struggles at times in his first year with the Jets, I still feel that Taylor will be getting his.