Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - Easily the most interesting move of the Buffalo Bills' offseason was drafting tight end Dalton Kincaid in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
What followed was months of hype for what Kincaid's impact would be in Year 1 with the Buffalo offense.
Through four games played in his rookie campaign, it's going well, despite calls for more.
It might feel like Kincaid hasn't really been a big part of the Bills offense so far. Well, you're half right.
Ready for a stat that will surprise you? Dalton Kincaid is on pace for the fourth-most receptions by a rookie tight end ever.
He is getting the ball thrown his way a lot for a position in tight end that is notorious for not getting much work at the beginnings of their careers. Kincaid is actually second on the Bills in receptions, out pacing wide receiver Gabe Davis.
The reason it feels like Kincaid isn't a big part of the offense is his lack of yardage, but that's not on him. The Bills have been throwing the ball to Kincaid very short, using him as the Cole Beasley clone we had been told about.
Kincaid's targeted air yards average out to 3.7 yards downfield. He's getting the ball closer to the line of scrimmage than gadget wide receivers like Rondale Moore of the Arizona Cardinals.
Two parts of the Kincaid experience are working to this point: The short passing game and the run game. His presence on the field as a second tight end has made the Bills bigger on offense, and is a huge part of why Buffalo has its best rushing offense in years.
The third part of Kincaid's game is to unlock is deeper passes up the seams. It was a staple of Kincaid's game at the University of Utah. He has all the athleticism to beat linebackers and safeties 15-20 yards down the field on a regular basis.
Part of the want for more from Kincaid is what Detroit Lions rookie tight end Sam LaPorta is doing.
LaPorta was the next tight end off the board in the 2023 NFL Draft after Kincaid, and he is currently on pace for the greatest rookie tight end season ever.
That cannot be the bar for Kincaid to clear to be a success in Year 1. To be honest, it's almost a certainty LaPorta will come back down to Earth.
So if you're wanting to see more from Kincaid, you really just want to see different types of routes. Even with that being said, he has changed the Bills offense for the better on multiple fronts.
Just wait until this guy isn't a rookie.
