(Editor's Note: While the start of the 2025 NFL Draft isn't until late April, it's never too early to profile some of the key participants. The staff of DallasCowboys.com intends to preview the landscape of the draft's top prospects, with an emphasis on possible Cowboys draft picks – from the first round to the last. Today's featured player is LSU tight end Mason Taylor.)
- Name: Mason Taylor
- Position: Tight end
- College: LSU
- Height/Weight: 6'5 / 251
- Did You Know? Taylor comes from a prestigious football family. His father, Jason Taylor, is a Hall of Fame defensive end who spent 15 years in the NFL, was a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro and won the 2006 defensive player of the year award. His uncle, Zach Thomas, is a Hall of Fame linebacker who played for 13 years including the 2008 season with the Cowboys and made seven Pro Bowls and five All-Pro teams.
Where He's Projected:
Taylor has slowly but surely risen throughout the pre-draft process, and could go as high as the second round, but likely won't fall past the third if he even gets there at all.
How He Helps the Cowboys:
The Cowboys have a fair share of bodies in the tight end room already likely won't be in the market for one in this draft class especially where Taylor is going to be available. But if they are, Taylor is an intriguing option who was productive in his three seasons at LSU, including setting the school's single-season receptions record for a tight end in 2024 with 55.
Taylor is a great athlete who can run any route you need from the tight end position, has strong hands and is able to hold on through contact in the air. He's not the fastest guy at the position and needs to improve as an in-line blocker but has a high floor as a receiving threat and can help an offense immediately.
Final Thoughts:
As stated earlier, it's unlikely that the Cowboys would go the tight end route as early as the second round in the draft given the amount of other positions they are in need of filling.
They are young at the position, and with Taylor would become even younger as he'll be just 21 years old when the season starts. Jake Ferguson is also coming into a contract year after struggling in his third season, so a Taylor selection would secure more depth alongside Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann-Ford on the depth chart for the Cowboys.
For as good as the film is from Taylor, he didn't get into the endzone many times for the Tigers in three seasons, only scoring six touchdowns over the course of his career in Baton Rouge. For teams that may be looking for more of a redzone threat in their tight end, that's something to consider with Taylor as well.
2025 Dallas Cowboys Star Magazine Draft Guide
Never fear, the OFFICIAL 2025 Dallas Cowboys Star Magazine Draft Guide is here. Inside you'll find positional breakdowns for the team as well as in-depth scouting reports on more than 100 incoming rookies and over 500 players ranked overall. Also featured will be our look back 50 years to the famed Dirty Dozen draft of 1975, a profile on local product and budding running back superstar Ashton Jeanty and, of course, our annual first-round mock draft. Do the draft the Cowboys way with the 2025 Dallas Cowboys Star Magazine Draft Guide!
