Buffalo Bills 2020 Season Report Card: Tight End

The Buffalo Bills passing attack took the next step this past season but seemingly all the production came from the wide receivers. Even with a healthy Tyler Kroft and Dawson Knox entering his second season, the tight end position was often an afterthought.

Let’s review some of the top tight ends performance from the 2020 season for the Buffalo Bills and hand out our grades for each.

Dawson Knox

When the Buffalo Bills drafted Dawson Knox there was an understanding that he was a project but he had all the physical tools to be a playmaker from the tight end position if it all came together.

After two seasons, there are questions now if that will actually happen. The positive is that there is still a question due in large part to Knox showing flashes of the tight end the front office envisioned when they drafted him.

He finished the regular season with 24 receptions for 28 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He would add two more touchdowns along with 10 receptions and 65 receiving yards in three playoff games.

The best game of the season for Knox was the last one of the Bills season, when he had six receptions for 42 yards and a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The potential is still there but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the front office bring in another tight end to compete with Knox for that top spot at the position.

Grade: C

Tyler Kroft

The Buffalo Bills signed Tyler Kroft as a free agent prior to the 2019 season but didn’t really see much his first year after he suffered a foot injury during OTAs. This year, Kroft entered the season healthy and even got a chance to show what he could do as the full-time starter when Knox missed time early in the year due to injuries.

In Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams, he had four receptions for 24 yards with two touchdowns. Then in Week 7 against the New York Jets had four receptions for 64 yards.

However, the coaching staff eventually elected to go with Dawson Knox as the full-time starter and Tyler Kroft finished most of the season as a healthy scratch. He is now set to be a free agent and likely has seen his time with the Bills come to an end.

Grade: C-

Lee Smith

The third tight end who saw regular playing time was Lee Smith but he was primarily used as a blocker in the run game. However, he did find the end zone a couple of times and finished the season with four receptions, 35 receiving yards, and two touchdowns.

One thing that did stand out for Lee Smith was that he was not called for any penalties this past season. This is a significant drop from 2019 when he was called for nine. For a tight end who is primarily on the team for his blocking, this certainly helps his grade from this past season.

Grade: B