Buffalo Bills tight ends have plenty to prove in PFF rankings
The Buffalo Bills like the upside of their tight ends but it wasn’t enough to move them up Pro Football Focus’ recent rankings.
The Buffalo Bills offense has been getting good reviews this offseason, including recently having Pro Football Focus rank their wide receivers in the Top 5 in the NFL, however the tight end position enters with more than their fair share of questions.
This is why it wasn’t necessarily surprising to see Pro Football Focus recently rank the Bills tight ends 20th in the league.
"Led by rookie Dawson Knox, who caught 28 passes during the regular season, the Bills got only 46 receptions from their tight ends last season — tied for 26th in the league. Knox is an athletic tight end who can move around the formation. He should have opportunities to shine in 2020 given the attention the Bills’ receivers will be getting from opposing defenses."
The Buffalo Bills are going to enter the season with Dawson Knox as their starter, with Tyler Kroft, Lee Smith and Tommy Sweeney competing for snaps as backups. The success of this group will fall on Knox’s shoulders as he enters his second year in the league. The former third round pick was raw when the Bills drafted him and he performed above expectations as a rookie with 28 receptions, 388 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
However, for Knox to take that next step in his career he will need to work on his drops and become a more reliable pass catcher for Josh Allen.
The rankings created by Steve Palazzolo were based on star players along with depth and the Buffalo Bills at this point are lacking that star player. The Bills have the depth with the tight ends they have, especially if Tyler Kroft can stay healthy. If Kroft could avoid the injuries, he has a ton of potential in this offense.
Long term though, the Buffalo Bills have put their money on Dawson Knox. There was enough to be seen as a rookie that there is the belief that he could develop into that star but at this point in his career, it is hard to see how the Buffalo Bills could be ranked any higher.