The Buffalo Bills are expecting a lot from their 2025 rookie class, but it’s been a slow burn through two weeks. Maxwell Hariston will miss the first four weeks with an injury and Landon Jackson has been a healthy scratch, so far. T.J. Sanders saw more snaps in Week 2, but he is still a long way away from being a reliable contributor.
But there has been one rookie who has stood out in a big way for the Bills and that is none other than Jackson Hawes, a fifth-round tight end from Georgia Tech. Not only has he found a way to get on the field despite Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox ahead of him, you can make a case that he’s been the best tight end on the roster.
Hawes is the highest-graded rookie in the NFL through two weeks
There is no reason to make any big, sweeping statements after just two weeks of the NFL season. But it does appear that the Bills found a quality tight end on Day 3 of the NFL Draft. Hawes has played 51 snaps through two games, which is quite a bit for a No. 3 tight end.
But his performance has been quite eye-opening as Hawes is the highest-graded rookie in the NFL after two games, according to Pro Football Focus. It’s also worth noting that he’s the league’s highest-graded tight end, primarily due to his blocking ability. Here is a snippet of what PFF had to say about Buffalo’s new tight end through two games:
"The fifth-round pick from Georgia Tech is the NFL's highest-graded tight end after Week 2 and ranks as the second-best run blocker at the position (83.1), behind teammate Dawson Knox (90.6). While Hawes has dealt with challenges in man schemes (58.3), he’s been excellent in zone, earning an 85.6 zone PFF run-blocking grade across 23 snaps through two weeks. As a receiver, Hawes has caught both of his targets for 34 yards, 29 of which came in Week 1."Lauren Gray, Pro Football Focus
Hawes isn’t an incredible athlete and he has very average size for the tight end position. But he is an outstanding blocker and a perfect fit in Joe Brady’s offense. While he’ll likely never be a big weapon in the passing game, the Bills don’t need him to be. That’s why they drafted Kincaid, and a player like Hawes can help fill in the gaps.
Buffalo doesn’t have a superstar pass catcher on their offense, but they have a lot of good players who fill their roles nicely. Hawes is another example of Brandon Beane finding a player who does one job really well and finding a role for him. While it’s going to be tough to find more snaps for Hawes with Kincaid and Knox in the lineup, he deserves more looks considering just how well he’s played in his first two NFL contests.