The New York Jets are making a concerted effort to improve their historically weak tight end production, investing heavily in the position through recent draft picks. The team hopes to reverse a trend of underperforming players at tight end since the late 1980s and leverage the increasing use of multiple tight ends across the NFL.
Mason Taylor, a second-round pick in 2025, expressed optimism about the unit. "I think we’re building something special in that tight end room," Taylor said. He is now joined by Kenyon Sadiq, a first-round selection in the 2026 draft acquired from Oregon. Sadiq is described as a versatile player capable of lining up in various formations. With the addition of Sadiq, and alongside Jeremy Ruckert and Jelani Woods, the Jets' tight end group is expected to provide new offensive coordinator Frank Reich with diverse strategic options.
"There’s endless opportunities," Taylor noted. "If we can be that wild card where they don’t know what we can do, we’re going to be pretty dangerous."
The strategy aligns with a broader NFL trend. The league has seen a significant increase in the use of 12 (one running back, two tight ends) and 13 (one running back, three tight ends) personnel packages. In 2025, the NFL recorded 1,845 plays using three or more tight ends, the highest mark since tracking began in 2007, according to ESPN data. The Los Angeles Rams notably utilized 13 personnel on 30.5 percent of their plays, more than double any other team. This trend was reflected in the 2026 draft, where 17 tight ends were selected within the first five rounds.
Jets coach Aaron Glenn acknowledged the evolution of the position. "I think the skill level of that position has taken a tremendous jump as far as size, speed," Glenn said. "To be able to bring that type of player on your team and to create a different type of personnel package... that's the advantage that you get, because now, on defense, what are you going to play?" Glenn elaborated that multiple tight ends allow offenses to spread defenses out, potentially creating favorable matchups against linebackers and safeties, or to run the ball effectively against nickel formations. "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, who recorded 44 catches for 369 yards and one touchdown in 13 games during his rookie season, believes there is significant room for improvement. "I think it was good but not good enough. I’m really harsh on myself. I see it as a lot of room for improvement, which is a good thing." He spent the offseason focusing on blocking and improving his yards-after-the-catch ability.
Sadiq, considered the top tight end prospect in the draft, scored eight touchdowns for Oregon in the previous season. He is working to make up for missed time after undergoing hernia surgery, which sidelined him during the spring. "He can do so many things," Glenn said of Sadiq. "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."