Bills' TE Dalton Kincaid: Oft-Injured But Key Weapon Lands at No. 15

As the team enjoys its summer break, Bills On SI will unveil its Top 25 Player Rankings (based upon expected impact) for the 2026 season. The ranking methodology is based on positional value, past performance and expectations for any player. TE Dalton Kincaid lands at No. 15.

After an explosive rookie season, Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid underachieved in the next two seasons, mainly due to injury, setting up 2026 as a critical year after Buffalo picked up his fifth-year option in February.

After being out for four games in 2024, the fourth-year player missed five games in 2025 due to a hamstring injury and a torn PCL, opting not to get surgery on the latter, which may or may not be concerning depending on how one looks at it.

Kincaid's presence will be critical to helping improve a passing attack that ranked 15th in the NFL last season at 216.6 points per game, and if he stays on the field, several factors will be a boon for quarterback Josh Allen.

Why is Kincaid so important?

Dalton Kincaid has missed 9 games over the last two seasons. When he's been active, he's been limited to:
* 58% of the routes in 2024
* 46% of the routes in 2025

But Kincaid was 1st among TEs in yards per route run last year (2.79), and 10th in 2014 (1.62).

For what it's… pic.twitter.com/Ek1kXzPZU4
— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) May 26, 2026

The first thing that stands out when looking at Kincaid is his sure hands. His 79.59% catch rate was the sixth-best in the NFL among players with at least 45 targets in 2025, according to Next Gen Stats.

Working downfield is Kincaid's biggest strength when running routes, especially over the middle. He led the Bills with 14.6 yards per reception in 2025, and his 9.49 average depth of target was the fifth-deepest among tight ends with at least 50 routes run in 2025.

Despite missing time with injuries, Kincaid earned Pro Bowl honors with his abilities in 2025, catching 39 passes for 571 yards.

The 26-year-old also led the Bills with five touchdown receptions, showcasing an ability to get open when there is less room to run in the red zone, with three of his five scores coming in that area.

Kincaid's presence is also key when looking at the team's success as a whole. The offense averaged 30.5 points per game and the Bills had a 10-2 record when he was active last season, and only scored 23 and Buffalo went just 2-3 when he was inactive.

Kincaid's background

Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid (86) runs with the ball as New York Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood (44) runs towards him in hopes of a tackle, Sunday, September 14, 2025, in East Rutherford. | Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Kincaid was born on October 18, 1999 in Las Vegas and attended Faith Lutheran High School there, coming out of there as an unranked recruit and walking on at the University of San Diego.

After recording 11 touchdowns on just 24 catches his freshman season, Kincaid was an FCS All-American as a sophomore, leading all FCS tight ends in yards per reception, catching 44 passes for 835 yards.

Kincaid transferred to Utah in 2020, and in three seasons with the Utes, he caught 107 passes for 1,414 yards and 16 touchdowns. His 16 scores are tied for 11th-most in Utes history despite him playing 31 games with the program.

The rest of the Top 25 so far

25. RB Ty Johnson, June 16
24. CB Maxwell Hairston, June 17
23. K Tyler Bass, June 18
22. CB Dee Alford, June 19
21. LB Dorian Williams, June 20
20. RB Ray Davis, June 22
19. S C.J. Gardner-Johnson, June 23
18. G Alec Anderson, June 24
17. TE Dawson Knox, June 25
16. DT Deone Walker, June 27

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