The Bills are going to be in a tough spot for the next several weeks on offense. Dalton Kincaid (hamstring) is set to miss time once again, and the offense just isn’t the same when he’s not on the field. Dawson Knox is expected to take his place in the starting lineup, but that is a clear downgrade for Buffalo and the passing game.
Buffalo could use more three and four-receiver sets to mitigate the loss of Kincaid, but outside of Khalil Shakir, there aren’t many receivers on the roster that Josh Allen trusts. And that’s why it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Bills went the other direction and used more Jackson Hawes in Kincaid’s absence.
Hawes deserves a bigger role in Buffalo
It seemed like an odd decision when the Bills selected Hawes in the fifth round of the 2025 draft, considering he never caught a pass in college before the 2024 season. He finished his career at Georgia Tech with 16 receptions with no touchdowns, but he’s proven to be one of the best picks in the 2025 draft so far.
In a recent article by Pro Football Focus, they ranked the top 15 rookies of the 2025 season through Week 1and that list included Hawes at No. 3. He is the top-ranked rookie tight end in the league and is currently the No. 4 graded player at his position behind only Brock Bowers, George Kittle, and Sam LaPorta. Here is a snippet of what the site had to say about the star rookie for Buffalo:
"Hawes is one of four tight ends with 70.0-plus PFF grades in both areas of blocking. He ranks second in pass blocking (80.2), as he has now played 18 snaps without allowing pressure. He is also tied for 10th in run blocking (70.7), thanks to his excellent work in zone schemes (79.1 PFF run-blocking grade, fourth)."Pro Football Focus on Jackson Hawes
The Bills are increasing the playing time for Hawes as he’s surpassed 29 snaps in each of the previous four games. But with Kincaid set to miss more time, that number should increase. He’s nowhere near the receiver of Kincaid, but he’s proven to be a reliable option in the passing game and an outstanding weapon as a blocker.
At this point, Buffalo needs to find their five best skill players to put around Josh Allen, and the list includes Hawes. He’s too good and reliable a player to keep off the field, and this is a perfect time to give him an extended look on offense. The Bills could lean more on their run game with Kincaid out, and that is where Hawes shines, especially as an outside zone blocker.
No one is saying that he needs to be a featured part of the passing attack, but he should be the first player to see an increase in snaps with Kincaid now out for the foreseeable future. Expect Joe Brady to continue to play Hawes on a high percentage of the snaps moving forward and for him to be a big part of the offense in Week 11 and beyond.