While most teams last year focused on 12 personnel, which includes 1 running back and 2 tight ends in the formation, the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Rams were two teams in the NFL to effectively use 13 personnel, which includes 1 running back and 3 tight ends.
Die-hard NFL fans are used to seeing these two traditional heavy personnel sets, but casual fans might not know what a three-tight-end formation looks like or how it is run.
A key part of the Bills' success with this formation involved a once-overlooked tight end who is now inspiring other NFL teams to draft more blocking tight ends in the earlier rounds.
Let's take a look at how Jackson Hawes is a key member of the tight end room.
Why having 3 good tight ends make a difference
At the beginning of the 2025 season, Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid were the two stars at the tight end position. But towards the end of the season, the third tight end, Jackson Hawes, started to make a name for himself as a mauling blocking tight end who was tough at the line of scrimmage.
The 6-foot-4, 253-pound athlete is what you want in a throwback tight end whose main job is to be like an extra lineman and maul through the defensive line in jumbo sets. While Hawes started in eight contests in his rookie season, the 25-year-old took full advantage of Kincaid's injury situation to show the coaches and fans what he could bring to the team.
The former Georgia Tech star hauled in 16 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns while only being targeted 19 times. He was also healthy enough to play in the Bills' two postseason matchups, but unfortunately didn't have a ball thrown his way in either game.
New position opportunities?
As expected, Hawes will enter 2026, barring any injury, at the team's No. 3 tight end as a throwback blocker. He will be taking the place of Kincaid in the 22-personnel, which means a split backfield and two tight ends. He does have an opportunity to thrive in a new but familiar role he had back when he was playing at Georgia Tech.
With Reggie Gilliam now on the New England Patriots, Hawes could be used as a fullback to block for James Cook in the running game or help Josh Allen earn that first down by blocking for him on a fourth-and-short for the team's "Tush Push" play.
This role isn't new to Hawes, as Georgia Tech didn't use a traditional fullback when he was there, so they used him as a fullback in their goal-line offense or in their fourth-and-short offense as well.
While Hawes hasn't really had the opportunity to be used more as a receiving threat, I believe Joe Brady, now that he's the head coach, won't. It's more realistic and smart to have Kincaid earn more of those targets and keep Hawes for their 13-personnel grouping.
But, hey. You never know!
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