Buffalo Bills: Ranking the tight ends of the AFC East

1) Buffalo Bills

Projected Starter – Dawson Knox

Long gone are the days of Pete Metzelaars and Jay Riemersma who, over a span of 14 years combined, compiled 246 receptions for 5,225 yards and 45 touchdowns. That was the last time when the Buffalo Bills had legitimate tight end threats at the position. Since then, there has been a revolving door where tight ends come and go freely through Orchard Park. General manager Brandon Beane hoped to change that narrative with the drafting of Dawson Knox.

Knox was drafted by the Bills in the third round, pick 96, of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Ole Miss. The Bills made an investment to get him, trading picks 112 and 131 to the Washington Redskins to pick Knox at 96. What Buffalo got was a speedy, athletic tight end who can stretch the field and catch the deep ball when thrown by quarterback Josh Allen. When he has the ball, he can be a mean runner and get hard earned yards after the catch. He is also an excellent run blocker who is tough at the point of attack and strives to drop his defender to make holes for the running game.

What really helped his game was that he played along side Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown and Seattle Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf while at Ole Miss. He learned a lot from those guys and because of that experience, Knox has the skill and ability to create separation from defenders. He posted some decent rookie numbers last season catching the ball 28 times for 388 yards and 2 touchdowns. In a new look Bills offense, the sky is the limit for Knox.

It is the depth for the Bills at the tight end position, that puts them atop this list. They do have viable back up options in Tyler Kroft and Tommy Sweeney. But for now, it seems it is Knox’s starting position to lose. The Bills traded up because they saw something in the Ole Miss product and they intend to make him the tight end for years to come.