Bills Sophomore TE 'Primed To Explode' In 2024 NFL season

Kincaid will be thrust into the role of Allen’s primary target sooner than expected given the sudden departures of Diggs and Davis

Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid (86)caught 5 passes and had a touchdown against the Broncos. / Jamie Germano/Rochester Democrat and

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane has described his team’s 2024 offseason efforts as an “infusion of youth,” a resetting of the team’s proverbial clock that saw Buffalo move on from stalwart starters like Stefon Diggs, Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, Tre’Davious White, and Mitch Morse while simultaneously shedding significant salary and recentering its core around younger players both new and returning.

The rooms most significantly impacted by the Bills’ spring maneuvers belong to the secondary and receivers, the latter losing its two leading contributors in the aforementioned Diggs and Gabriel Davis. Buffalo added external reinforcements in the form of free agent Curtis Samuel and rookie Keon Coleman, but it looks as though the team is going to expect the bulk of its aerial production from two returning pass-catchers, namely third-year wide receiver Khalil Shakir and sophomore tight end Dalton Kincaid.

And it’s the latter player that one outlet feels could be in for a breakout year two. Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski recently compiled a list of eight NFL sophomores who are “primed to explode” in the 2024 NFL season, identifying Kincaid as a player to watch.

“Without [Diggs], Buffalo doesn't have a premier target on the outside,” Sobleski wrote. “Instead, quarterback Josh Allen should turn to second-year tight end Dalton Kincaid.

“The Bills turned the 24-year-old into TE1 during the previous year's class when they selected him with the 25th overall pick. He came on strong during their final four games, with 19 receptions for 275 yards, as Buffalo captured another AFC East title and made it to the divisional round of the playoffs . . . Now with a season under Kincaid's belt and the top two targets gone from the lineup, Buffalo can emulate its nemesis, the Kansas City Chiefs, by making a tight end the offense's No. 1 receiving threat.”

Kincaid’s long been expected to develop into the centerpiece of Buffalo’s aerial attack, with many hoping he’ll ultimately act as the Travis Kelce to Josh Allen’s Patrick Mahomes. He showed flashes of this ability after the team traded up to select him in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, playing on 784 offensive snaps while catching 73 passes for 673 yards and two scores in his rookie year.

He’ll be thrust into the role of Allen’s primary target sooner than expected given the sudden departures of Diggs and Davis, but he’s shown plenty of indication that he’s ready for increased usage. His intrinsic ability to find and expose the soft spots in coverage has shined throughout his short NFL career, as has his sharp route running; with Coleman attracting attention on the outside and the combination of Shakir and Samuel being used in creative ways, Kincaid should have plenty of space to operate and succeed over the middle of the field.