In the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills surprised some by trading up a couple of picks to draft the top tight end in the class, Utah’s Dalton Kincaid.
Jumping ahead of the Dallas Cowboys, who likely would have drafted Kincaid, Buffalo saw a player they couldn’t resist. Kincaid is by far, and away, the best tight end in this draft. He is a talented receiver and will be utilized as a big-time weapon in a high-flying offense.
However, with a few other key needs like pass rusher, linebacker and wide receiver, Kincaid’s selection could also be a bit of a head-scratcher.
Hopefully, he is able to become everything the positive scouting reports say he can. But, there are a few reasons why Bills fans should be weary of this pick. Let’s dive in.
Reasons to worry about Buffalo Bills draft pick Dalton Kincaid: Limited football experience
On one hand, it is impressive that Kincaid has been so successful after having only played football since 2017. The fact that he worked his way to becoming a first-round pick is undoubtedly an achievement. But, the lack of experience can also come into play when you’re at the highest level.
There are other reasons we’ll get into, that kind of relate to a lack of experience and development, but this is definitely a reason to be concerned. He’ll have to develop correctly and might take a couple of years before he becomes a big-time contributor.
Let’s not forget, last year’s top tight end, Trey McBride, hardly did a thing as a rookie. Tight ends take a while to develop, at least on average. Kincaid might not become the star people are making him out to be; at least not for a while, and the Bills aren’t a team that can afford to wait around a while. Buffalo is ready to win a Super Bowl right now, so ideally, Kincaid grows into an NFL thoroughbred quickly.