Garrett Nussmeier could reunite with fellow Tiger in 2026 NFL Draft

Night one of the 2026 NFL Draft featured two distinctly different quarterback selections — one, the long-expected selection of Fernando Mendoza by the Las Vegas Raiders — and the other, the Los Angeles Rams’ surprise selection of Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick. The near-consensus No. 3 quarterback in the draft, Garrett Nussmeier, wasn’t selected in the first round, but the former LSU quarterback should come off the board Friday night.

While the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers are both expected to try to land Nussmeier at some point in rounds two and three, there’s one landing spot that would be eye-catching for LSU fans, as it would reunite Nussmeier with a pass-catcher he knows especially well. That landing spot would be the New York Jets, where Nussmeier could be reunited with the most productive tight end in LSU history, Mason Taylor. Taylor and Nussmeier developed a fantastic connection during their lone year starting together at LSU, with Taylor hauling in 55 receptions (a single-season LSU record for a tight end) for 546 yards and two touchdowns, earning him third-team All-SEC honors in 2024 en route to being selected by the Jets in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Taylor had a quietly productive rookie season with the Jets. Though his 44 catches for 369 yards and a touchdown may not be eye-popping, he led the team in receptions and finished the season with the second-most receiving yards. Some competition entered the pass-catching room yesterday, as the Jets drafted Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq and Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr.

, bolstering a mostly uninspiring skill-position group. While that pairing may make Taylor less of a featured option in the offense, it makes the Jets a much more appealing landing spot for Nussmeier, should they draft him. Nussmeier wouldn’t be the Jets’ immediate starter in 2026, as they signed veteran quarterback Geno Smith this offseason to provide some stability to the quarterback room.