The Buffalo Bills shined last season with their talent and depth in their tight end room due to a lack of a true No. 1 wide receiver on the roster. In 2026, the Bills' tight end room will improve even more by adding D.J. Moore as their No. 1 receiver, who might be the beneficiary of the potential improvements to the tight ends this season.
With that being said, the Bills return a logjam at the tight end position, with three of their tight ends already securing a 53-man roster spot. The Bills also return one of the league's best tight end rooms, led by Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox and Jackson Hawes, leaving no room open for second-year player Keleki Latu.
How Keleki Latu can be breakout star
What he showed on the field
Keleki Latu amazed the attendees at Highmark Stadium by catching a vertical go route from Kyle Allen in the red zone that, in a real game, would have resulted in six points.
The 6-foot-6, 249-pound athlete also made another sleek catch with his height and long frame during the "end-of-game" situations from Shane Buechele. He, by luck, threw a nice pass into a tight window that squeezed between a pile of defenders.
Latu then carried that momentum into last Saturday's preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers in the first game at the new Highmark Stadium. The undrafted free agent out of Washington caught 4 passes for 33 yards and showed that he had been working on his run-blocking skills too.
Latu assisted Frank Gore Jr. with a physical block in the 4th qtr. that set up a 16-yard run, while also making vital blocks on two touchdown runs that helped the team beat the Panthers.
How Latu could remain a Buffalo Bill
Latu went undrafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2025 and started the year on the practice squad. He made the active roster and finished his rookie campaign playing in five games, catching four passes for 35 yards, but he still has yet to catch his first regular-season touchdown pass. He has progressed to the point where they really can't continue to waive him and then put him on the practice squad, where another team could pick him up.
They may have to keep him as the fourth tight end on the roster, as it demonstrates roster flexibility, which can reassure management, especially if Dalton Kincaid can't stay healthy, and shows he can't be productive for a full 17-game season, thereby increasing Latu's status.
The opportunity cost of keeping four tight ends would probably be going at a position where they had more strength, maybe nose tackle, where the team could add more veterans to the practice squad for depth. Plus, it could add value, as they have been emerging forward with the two-year tight end.
All of these methods could lead to a major reward for Latu, as keeping him could make him another promising young tight end who NFL scouts overlooked on his draft day in 2025.
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