Bills Tight End 'A Feared Mismatch' Headed Into Year 2
While the Buffalo Bills continue to be praised for restocking their receivers cupboard this offseason, it may be second-year tight end Dalton Kincaid who pays the largest dividend for their offense this season.
As new arrivals Curtis Samuel, Chase Claypool, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and rookie Keon Coleman become acclimated to coordinator Joe Brady’s offensive scheme, Kincaid is once again expected to be among the favorite targets for quarterback Josh Allen.
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In fact, SB Nation has projected the Bills’ 2023 first-round (No. 25 overall) draft selection as their “x-factor” on offense this season.
“Allen has often punished opposing defenses by throwing the ball downfield and outside the hash marks,” noted Buffalo Rumbling’s Fernando Schmude. “Kincaid's growth into a feared mismatch inside should do wonders for the Bills’ new group of pass catchers outside, allowing them to face more one-on-one opportunities and making people pay for them. The continuity in his development and in the way he's featured in the offense should be the biggest X-factor for this unit in 2024.”
Kincaid turned in a solid rookie season in 2023, having logged 73 catches for 673 yards and two touchdowns. The Utah product is a natural pass catcher, whose unique abilities to change the complexity of an offense are well-documented. Kincaid is known for his ability to separate, as well as his skill for gaining yards after the catch. The 6-4, 204-pounder has also demonstrated some prowess as a blocker, particularly his effectiveness at shielding and walling off opposing defenders.
Though Kincaid has seized the top spot on the depth chart, he is expected to form a formidable tandem alongside veteran Dawson Knox, who also continues to prove his value in Buffalo's offense.