Projecting expanded role for overlooked TE Dawson Knox in Bills' Revamped Offense

The Buffalo Bills have plenty of targets to redistribute in their passing game due to the departure of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. Expect TE Dawson Knox to get his share.

Bills Dawson Knox celebrates his touchdown catch with quarterbck Josh Allen. / JAMIE GERMANO / USA TODAY NETWORK

Dalton Kincaid is the first-round draft pick coming off a productive rookie season and seemingly primed to break out even more as a second-year tight end in the Buffalo Bills' offense.

Kincaid will more than likely transition from a secondary option to a primary target for quarterback Josh Allen in 2024, but his anticipated production should not overshadow the potential of the team's veteran tight end.

Dawson Knox's 2023 receiving statistics (22-186-2) were a serious disappointment, though his wrist injury apparently had much to do with the drop in productivity. Despite last year's drop, there are signs pointing to a resurgence for Knox in what will be the former third-round draft pick's sixth NFL season.

Prior to 2023, Knox exceeded the 500-yard receiving mark in back-to-back seasons and made 15 touchdown receptions while being targeted 136 times over the two-year span in the regular season. He has been one of Allen's favorite red-zone targets for quite some time and has caught five first-quarter touchdown passes in postseason games.

Knox certainly has earned Allen's trust, and their bond extends beyond the field, too, as the two are reportedly close friends, who have played together for five seasons and counting.

The powerful 6-foot-4 Knox possesses the size and run-after-catch ability to warrant a portion of the targets that were once allocated for receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, who are no longer on the roster. Diggs (160) and Davis (81) combined for 241 targets last year, so there are plenty of looks in need of redistribution.

Buffalo is likely considering an increase in two-TE sets with Knox and Kincaid on the field simultaneously.

"The number of different guys we got there [at receiver], really, you can almost add Dalton and Dawson as well," said Bills' head coach Sean McDermott at the league meetings in late March.

Add it all up and a bounce-back season appears on the horizon for the 27-year-old Knox.