Tight ends wearing No. 46 isn't an all-to-familiar situation in the NFL.
That's the jersey number Mason Taylor will be donning for the New York Jets, though.
In contrast, his family is one the NFL is very familiar with.
Taylor is the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor and the nephew Hall of Famer Zach Thomas, both of them legends for the Jets' AFC East rivals, the Miami Dolphins.
With Taylor's entrance to the NFL comes an abundance of storylines and a lineage to live up to. The LSU product isn't running from the expectations, however, he's embracing them.
"There's high expectations, for sure, just because of the last name," Taylor said Friday, via ESPN’s Rich Cimini. "But when people say, 'Oh, let him have his shine, stop saying his dad's name' -- I mean, I love it. We're family, him and my uncle Zach."
Taylor is coming off a junior year at LSU in which he produced 55 receptions for 546 yards and a pair of touchdowns. It led to him getting selected in the 2025 NFL Draft's second round at No. 42 overall. So, he's already got a leg up of sorts on his dad and uncle.
Jason Taylor was drafted in 1997 by the Dolphins, selected in the third round at No. 73 overall. Thomas was picked in '96 during the fifth round at No. 154 overall by Miami.
The younger Taylor should also find himself in a promising situation based on the dearth of Jets pass catchers. New Jets quarterback Justin Fields has a bona fide No. 1 wide receiver in Garrett Wilson, but thereafter the cupboard's somewhat bare. So, Taylor might well quickly become a top target.
Unlike his HOF elders, Mason's obviously on the offensive side of the ball. Still, he's taking after them and further underscoring that it's an honor to draw comparisons rather than added pressure.
"I mean, I want to be like them, so you can call it 'in their shadows,' but I love modeling my game after theirs, their hard work," he said. "I know they're on the defense, but just their hard work and how they weren't highly recruited coming into the NFL -- their hard work, consistency every single day. I mean, I look up to those guys, for sure."
As for donning No. 46 -- which he debuted at rookie minicamp -- he's not looking into that at all.
"I'm here to play football," he said. "It's not about a number."
Thomas played 13 years (12 for the Dolphins and one for the Dallas Cowboys), earning seven Pro Bowl selections. Jason Taylor played 15, with 13 in Miami, one for Washington and one for these same Jets, earning six Pro Bowl nods along the way. Those are numbers to care about as Mason Taylor embarks on his first pro season, having had an NFL example set for him the likes of which few, if any, have ever had before.
