Rams Draft: What LSU's Mason Taylor Brings To The Table

The Los Angeles Rams are entering the offseason with high hopes after coming close to an NFC Championship berth thanks to a bright, young defense and an offense that remains productive with Matthew Stafford under-center.

The team's needs aren't dire but if they want to reach their ultimate goal of a Super Bowl with their quarterback on borrowed time, they must address key areas, including tight end.

Davis Allen and Tyler Higbee are an acceptable duo for the Rams when healthy. However, it's a group that has underwhelmed for a few seasons or more and landing their future at the position will be critical. In this year's NFL Draft, they'll have a chance to land him.

LSU Tigers TE Mason Taylor is one possible Day Two target in this year's draft. Like his teammate offensive lineman Will Campbell, Taylor has been a starter for most of his collegiate career in Baton Rouge with program records for tight ends. Taylor is the son of NFL Hall of Fame edge rusher Jason Taylor and the nephew of recently inducted Hall of Fame linebacker Zach Thomas, giving him a strong bloodline heading to the next level.

Let's take a closer look at Taylor as a prospect and what he could bring to the table for the Rams.

Strengths

A big plus of Taylor is his frame at 6-foot-5, 251 pounds that moves very well with quality athleticism that makes him a fun target for any quarterback in the passing game. Taylor is an easy mover who exhibits impressive acceleration and quickness after the catch, with some calling him silky smooth for the position.

Taylor will intrigue teams due to his alignment versatility and utilization in the Tigers offense as an in-line or perimeter player. He was used often in split zone action as a motion man across the formation, aided by his athletic prowess to be an effective route runner and separator in space. Taylor's fluidity, quickness, and size allow him to win his routes at the top of the stem while running a fairly diverse route tree in the process.

LSU’s Mason Taylor has phenomenal ball skills. Tracks it so well and consistently comes down with 50/50 balls.

Lowest drop rate in the country among TEs with 50+ targets last season (1.8%). pic.twitter.com/8nIfKVQAP6
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) February 5, 2025

Football intelligence is a key aspect of the Rams offense and at LSU, Taylor was asked to run plenty of choice routes based on the coverage he faced and read them well, which also allowed him to work into green grass to sit and make himself available to the quarterback. His ball skills are among the best at his position, using his length to snag passes away from his frame and strong mitts to be a reliable target.

Taylor is also a creative player after the catch with good acceleration to beat some tackle angles and work up field. This gives teams a potential immediate contriubtor in the passing game with his pass-catching prowess.

LSU TE Mason Taylor is a prospect to take a chance on.

Solid vision and mental processing over Zone Concepts to find a void and settle quickly with good body control. He also knows when to work back to his quarterback.#NFL Draft pic.twitter.com/SHGhTojFGy
— Colton Edwards (@coltonedwardsFB) February 15, 2025

Weaknesses

The biggest issue with Taylor is his blocking and seemingly average power at the point of attack. He struggles to keep balance when locking on to defenders as an in-line blocker and even then, he struggles to get grips and drive players back to open creases for opposing backs.

While he is an effective split-zone blocker, Taylor must improve his play strength and power generation at the point. He can play with high pads that compromise his chest and allows defenders to get by, an issue that popped up against teams like South Carolina and Texas A&M, two teams with outstanding defensive lines and front seven defenders.

This is more nitpicking than anything but Taylor was never a go-to target in LSU's passing game, which kept a lid on the potential he had to be one of the most productive players in the country at any position.

How Taylor fits the Los Angeles Rams offense

As soon as he enters the NFL, Taylor will likely be a pass-catching weapon in the offense with more big slot and perimeter opportunities as he works to improve his play strength and power in the trenches. This is a skill set that would fit perfectly with Sean McVay's offense as the F-move end with reliability in the passing game.

Taylor's play-style in terms of his athleticism and movement skills are similar to Travis Kelce coming out of Cincinnati. This is the type of player that could add to the Rams youth movement as they attempt to add more to the offensive side of the ball going forward.

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