Looking back on the 2024 season and the offense the Denver Broncos rolled out, it took a small miracle (and Sean Payton) to make the postseason for the first time since 2015.
While the offensive line did their job to hold their weight, it took time for rookie quarterback Bo Nix and his wide receivers to connect and Denver’s running backs were MIA from start to finish. So were the tight ends.
The Athletic’s latest mock draft fixes part of that problem, with the Broncos projected to take LSU tight end Mason Taylor in the second round (No. 51 overall). Taylor is the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Jason Taylor and nephew of Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Zach Thomas.
Mason Taylor, 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds, could step in and flip the script at the tight end position for the Broncos from the jump.
“LSU Tigers tight end Mason Taylor projects as an impactful receiving threat at the NFL level,” The 33rd Team’s Kyle Crabb wrote. “Taylor offers fluidity at plus size and sure hands, which should allow him to be an authentic matchup problem for the blend of linebackers and safeties he will catch in coverage while running routes.”
Taylor Wasted Little Time Declaring for NFL Draft
Taylor is headed to the NFL after 3 productive seasons at LSU, with career highs of 55 receptions and 546 yards in 2024. Taylor finished his career with 128 receptions for 1,308 yards and 6 touchdowns and became a starter just 2 weeks into his true freshman season.
Taylor made the Freshman All-SEC Team in 2022 and was an All-SEC selection in 2024. He’s also young — he won’t turn 21 years old until 2025. He announced he was leaving school early in an Instagram post on December 5.
“Taylor is LSU’s career leader at tight end in receptions (129) and receiving yards (1,308),” ESPN’s Chris Low wrote. “He was a three-year starter for the Tigers and was second on the team this season with 55 catches. The 6-foot-5, 255-pound Taylor is ranked by ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. as the No. 3 tight end prospect for the 2025 NFL draft.”
Taylor is one of 4 tight ends projected to go in the first 2 rounds of the draft along with Penn State’s Tyler Warren, Michigan’s Colston Loveland and Bowling Green’s Harold Fannin.
Broncos Tight Ends Were Pathetic in 2024
It’s hard to call the production the Broncos got out of a rotating group of tight ends in 2024 as anything but pathetic — Adam Trautman, Lucas Krull and Nate Adkins combined for 46 receptions for 455 yards and 5 touchdowns.
That is essentially less than half of the production of 2 of the other starting tight ends in their own division with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (97 receptions, 823 yards, 3 touchdowns) and Las Vegas Raiders tight end and NFL All-Pro Brock Bowers, who set NFL records for rookie tight ends with 112 receptions for 1,194 yards and 5 touchdowns. It’s also about equal to the production of Los Angeles Chargers tight end Will Dissly (50 receptions, 481 yards, 2 touchdowns).
The Broncos haven’t had a Pro Bowl tight end in over a decade, since Julius Thomas made it in consecutive seasons in 2013 and 2014 and haven’t had an NFL All-Pro tight end since Shannon Sharpe was selected 3 consecutive seasons from 1996 to 1998.
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Hall of Famer’s Son Could Solve TE Problems for Broncos