Who Should I Start? Cole Kmet or Mason Taylor

Saturday, July 19, 11:33 AM

Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet was initially taken aback when the team took rookie Colston Loveland in the first round in April, but now he's beginning to buy into new head coach Ben Johnson's offensive vision. "I'm excited about it. I'm excited to not only push him but then for him to push me. We're going to make each other better. I think the goal with it is to become the best 12 (personnel) tandem in the league and see where we can take it from there," Kmet said. In Detroit, Johnson's offense ran the third-most plays out of 12 personnel (two TEs) in the league, posted a success rate of 47.9%, averaged a gain of 6.2 yards per play and logged 59 explosive plays in 2024. The Lions also had the most TDs out of 12 personnel. It doesn't mean Chicago's offense will be among the best in the league immediately, but Kmet's demise might be premature, especially with Loveland still rehabbing a shoulder injury heading into training camp.

Friday, July 18, 10:58 AM

The New York Jets and tight end Mason Taylor have agreed to terms on a four-year rookie contract, according to Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network. The Jets drafted Taylor out of LSU in the second round of the 2025 draft, and he appears to be the favorite to start at tight end as a rookie. In his final college season at LSU, Taylor had 55 catches for 546 yards and two touchdowns. Previous reporting has indicated that the Jets expect him to contribute to the offense immediately, and there's certainly an opportunity for pass-catchers behind star wide receiver Garrett Wilson to emerge. New York's other options at tight end entering camp are Jeremy Ruckert, Stone Smartt, and Zack Kuntz. Now that he's under contract with the team, Taylor will have a full training camp to build chemistry with Jets quarterback Justin Fields.