Orchard Park, N.Y. (WGR 550) - Tyler Kroft. Jacob Hollister. O.J. Howard.
The names have come and gone, as the Buffalo Bills have been searching for a "flex", pass-catching tight end for several years.
General manager Brandon Beane finally found that tight end Thursday night, drafting one in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft to hopefully end that pursuit once and for all.
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After a trade up from the 27th pick to 25th overall in order to jump the Dallas Cowboys at 26, Beane selected Dalton Kincaid out of Utah.
"If Dalton was not there, we were going to trade back," said Beane following Thursday's pick in the NFL Draft. "But we had a good feeling that Dallas was going to take him."
The Bills moved up two spots in the draft order, also giving the Jacksonville Jaguars pick No. 130, their fourth-round selection.
Even though the Bills have Dawson Knox, and even signed him to a hefty contract extension last offseason that starts this year, they've been searching for a true flex tight end to add to the passing game and allow them to run more "12 personnel" (one running back, two tight ends).
Kincaid would finally solve that issue for them.
In the long-term, Kincaid gives the Bills two good, athletic tight ends who can be mismatches in their own ways, including the rookie as a vertical threat that Knox isn't.
Kincaid can also run after the catch as well as many receivers, something the Bills offense has lacked overall the last few years.
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"Dawson's still going to be very involved," Beane said of Knox, noting he will play more of the traditional "Y" tight end role, where Kincaid will be used more like a slot receiver.
Beane even compared Kincaid to Cole Beasley in the way he can control the middle of the field with his route-running and, what he called, "elite hands." The difference is that Beasley is 5-foot-8 and 174 pounds, while Kincaid is 6-foot-3 and 246 pounds.
Kincaid isn't a refined blocker, and will have to gain mass and learn better technique as he moves forward. But the Bills believe enough in their strength and conditioning program and coaching that they feel he will get better and improve in that area, especially in another year or two as he starts as mostly just a pass-catcher.
That will allow offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey to use both players at the same time and dictate how defenses play them.
"Generally, when you're in 12 if you've got two Y tight ends, you're going to get base defense. When he's in the game, we're going to get nickel as if we're in 11," Beane said.
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