Potential breakout TE circled as Bills' 'X-Factor' in 2024 NFL season

ESPN listed off an X-Factor for each NFL team, with tight end Dalton Kincaid named the Buffalo Bills' X-Factor for the 2024 season.

Anthony Miller | Aug 31, 2024

Jamie Germano/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

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All the talk throughout the 2024 NFL offseason has been about Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and him getting in rhythm with his new, young wide receiver room, but one of his tight ends could be the difference in the passing game.

ESPN's Ben Solak released an article Friday detailing who he thought would be each NFL team's X-Factor for the 2024 season. Solak picked second-year tight end Dalton Kincaid as his X-Factor for the Bills, speculating that the 24-year-old may be Allen's go-to target in 'gotta have it' situations.

"He was an efficient, high-volume target last season -- his 73 catches were third highest for a rookie tight end since 1970 -- but that cushy underneath gig worked only when Diggs and Davis were pushing the defense downfield," Solak wrote. "If the Buffalo offense is to work with this new look, Kincaid must be used downfield more frequently -- or develop a George Kittle-like profile after the catch."

Jamie Germano/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

Buffalo selected Kincaid in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft and he made an instant impact in the passing game, catching 73 passes for 673 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games as a rookie. He's the top returning pass catcher for the Bills entering 2024, with this and the general revamped nature of the Bills' receiving corps indicating that Kincaid could be in for a significant increase in production this fall.

The Bills' receiving corps will consist of Curtis Samuel, second-round pick Keon Coleman, veteran journeyman Mack Hollins, and third-year contributor Khalil Shakir. Coleman is being looked at as the future with the confidence of his coaches, players, and front office. It may take time for Allen to build that chemistry, so Kincaid will be called upon early and often, especially over the middle of the field.

Despite playing just one season, Kincaid has already been considered one of the top 10 tight ends in the NFL by many. He's more athletic than most of the tight ends in the NFL and has a seemingly innate ability to find soft spots in coverage; if he reaches his potential, he could work his way into 'best tight end in the league' conversations in the coming years.

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