Who Should I Start? Dalton Schultz or Mason Taylor

Saturday, January 18, 8:03 PM

Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz finished second on the team in receiving by catching all four of his targets for 63 yards in a Divisional Round defeat to Kansas City on Saturday. All told, it was the veteran tight end's second-best receiving day of the season, trailing only a 66-yard day against Detroit in November. About half Schultz's damage came on one play, a 34-yard juggling act along the sideline that was upheld after review. Though his receiving role initially took a hit, he ended up second on the team in targets and catches following injuries to receivers Stefon Diggs (knee) and Tank Dell (knee). Houston, which sees its season end in the Divisional Round for a second straight year, will likely be in the market for another pass catcher during the offseason.

Tuesday, April 29, 4:39 PM

The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt writes that rookie second-round tight end Mason Taylor will immediately walk into the Jets building at the top of the tight end depth chart going into his rookie season in 2025. Jeremy Ruckert projects as the No. 2, but he has yet to make an impact since the Jets drafted him in 2022. The Jets are at least hoping he can take a step forward as a blocker and contribute in the running game. The 20-year-old Taylor not only will be a starter immediately, but he could see plenty of targets from quarterback Justin Fields in his first year in the NFL, giving him TE1 fantasy upside in 2025. Outside of WR1 Garrett Wilson, the Jets don't exactly star-studded receiving depth in Josh Reynolds, Allen Lazard and Arian Smith. Taylor will have intriguing rookie upside, but he'll still be better off drafted as a TE2 sleeper than a staple for those in single-TE leagues.