There were a lot of question marks surrounding the Bills when they moved up in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft to select tight end Dalton Kincaid out of Utah.
I remember my first immediate reaction was one of shock, considering that the Bills had locked up their current tight end, Dawson Knox, to a 4-year, $52 million extension through 2026. It almost made no sense to draft a tight end in the first round. However, Kincaid has been a standout at OTAs per multiple reports, and the team is very impressed with what he is bringing to the offense, to include his tight end counterpart, Dawson Knox.
"“When he catches the ball, knifing up forward. And then you look at his catch radius, he makes some pretty unreal catches. I was very excited to be able to work with him. He’s young, he’s very talented, he’s got a lot of room to grow but his ceiling is very high and we’re excited to have him on our squad.”"Josh Allen, via Democrat and Chronicle
"“He had like 16 catches in one game in college,” Knox said. “I think that was like my whole senior year. So yeah, very, very impressive.”"Dawson Knox, via Sports Illustrated
While these quotes show that Kincaid has the talent to elevate an offense, does he have the advantage over the Pro Bowl tight end, Dawson Knox? As of right now, the Bills are not entirely sure where Kincaid will fit into the offense. Dawson Knox has consistently been a great blocker that has the ability to catch a TD pass from Josh Allen in crucial moments.
Ken Dorsey noted on May 30th that the coaching staff still does not know "where Kincaid fits into the big picture of the offense". This is not entirely surprising considering the circumstances of already having a well-established tight end that works within the offense.
Ken Dorsey said today that the #Bills are nowhere close to knowing where Dalton Kincaid fits into the big picture of the offense. Expect the rookie to get a lot of time with Josh Allen and Dawson Knox over the next few months in the practice setting.
— Matt Parrino (@MattParrino) May 31, 2023
Knox is already high on the… pic.twitter.com/YQkyrVnOng
Moving into the 2023 season, the edge seems to be going Dawson Knox's way simply because he has an established role within the offense and has a rapport with quarterback Josh Allen. However, it will be no surprise to see Ken Dorsey potentially running a two-tight-end set with Kincaid.
It will also be no surprise to Bills fans if Kincaid gets more catches than Dawson Knox over the course of the season. While Knox seems to have the edge moving into the season, the Bills didn't move up for no reason to ensure they got Dalton Kincaid. Kincaid is the future of the Bills' tight end room and has the ceiling to be one of, if not the best, tight end in the National Football League.