All of Travis Kelce’s numbers point toward the future Hall of Fame tight end nearing the end of his career. The Kansas City Chiefs found a nice complementary piece when they drafted Noah Gray several years ago, but the team should take advantage of the plentiful options in the 2025 NFL draft to land a high-volume tight end.
LSU felt that tight end Mason Taylor’s 6’4 7/8″, 250 lb frame with 32 7/8″ arms had the versatility to line up in-line, in the slot, out wide, and at H-back. He won’t bring all of that positional versatility to the NFL. Instead, Taylor primarily projects as a slot option who occasionally contributes as an in-line blocker.
Taylor cleanly releases from the line of scrimmage. He’s a smooth and fluid athlete who quickly finds the soft spot between the defense’s second and third levels. His speed stretches defenses up the seam, and linebackers struggle to match him in a straight line. He’s not a twitchy or elusive athlete, but his speed allows him to create after the catch.
Mason Taylor makes intermediate receptions look like layups. Soft hands with a large catch radius and the ability to make contested catches in traffic. pic.twitter.com/AoFDs1tSXp
— Frankie Abbott (@FrankiesFilm) February 4, 2025
Taylor displays strong hands and impressive concentration at the catch point. He only dropped one of his 79 targets in 2024 and routinely held onto catches with defenders draped over him during the one-on-one periods at the Senior Bowl.
Taylor isn’t elite in any single area. His agility, speed, and route running all fall below elite thresholds. Taylor struggles to separate from defensive backs and coverage linebackers. His lack of contact balance and elusiveness limit him after the catch. He doesn’t provide a consistent or reliable presence in the run game or pass protection.
Taylor’s projections range everywhere from the early second round to the back end of the top 100 selections. The Chiefs could pounce at the chance to draft him with their late second-round pick or wait to land him early in the third round. Taylor offers nice potential but isn’t worth trading up to pick.