Bills at Best with Dalton Kincaid? Rookie TE Provides 'Possibilities' for Buffalo, Says Insider
The Buffalo Bills surprised some people when they drafted and even traded up for a tight end in the first round of the draft last month by going with Dalton Kincaid out of Utah.
Boosting an already-elite offense was clearly the mindset of general manager Brandon Beane with this pick, but the first post-draft thought that many in Bills Mafia had was centered around how Kincaid will end up fitting into an offensive unit that will have some mouths to feed.
The Bills will obviously still rely on receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis with some possible uptick in usage for Khalil Shakir while running backs James Cook and Damien Harris get in the action as well. Additionally, the team already has tight end Dawson Knox, who is still fixing to be a key contributor of the offense, especially in the red zone.
But per ESPN's NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, having Kincaid won't get in the way of these guys. If anything, he thinks it will help open the playbook of possibilities for quarterback Josh Allen and crew.
"The Bills' trade-up to select Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid at No. 26 signifies much more than playmaking depth," Fowler writes. "It also opens up schematic possibilities -- the Bills can use more 12 personnel (one back, two tight ends) in 2023, the second season under offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. Buffalo ranked 31st in 12 personnel on first downs last year (8%), compared with seventh (65%) in 11 personnel (one back and one tight end). That should change, with Dawson Knox the inline tight end and Kincaid the "move" option, a vertical threat who can block on the outside."
Kincaid providing potential changes to Buffalo's personnel options was something Beane touched on after drafting him.
“Generally when you’re in 12 [personnel, with one running back and two tight ends], if you’ve got two ‘Y’ [in-line] tight ends, you’re going to get base defense,” Beane said. “When he’s in the game, we’re going to get nickel as if we’re in 11 [personnel, with one back, one tight ends, and three receivers]. So it’s just a different style player. He’s 6-3, just under 250. He’s not a receiver, but he’s more of a receiver."
At 6-4, 240 pounds, Kincaid brings nice size to the tight end position, but separates himself from the rest of most guys that play the position due to his receiving skills. In four of his five collegiate seasons, he caught at least eight touchdown passes. During his freshman season as San Diego, 11 of his 24 catches for the season were touchdowns.
From San Diego, to Utah, to joining one of the most popular teams in the NFL, Kincaid now has some big expectations to live up to based on what he's projected to bring to the Buffalo offense.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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