Bills' fifth-round beast surprisingly emerges as top NFL rookie

The Buffalo Bills and general manager Brandon Beane knew what they were getting out of tight end Jackson Hawes when they selected him in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft: a nasty blocker. However, it's doubtful they could've envisioned him having a major impact on the offense this early in his career.

Hawes caught his first career touchdown on Thursday against the Dolphins on a highlight-reel shovel pass from Josh Allen, and he has caught all three of his targets for 39 yards, but his role in Joe Brady's offense goes well beyond that.

Pro Football Focus has graded Hawes as the best rookie in the NFL by a fairly wide margin, with the Giants' Cam Skattebo having an 85.7 grade compared to Hawes' 91.8. The former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket's 78.6 and 77.4 run blocking and pass blocking grades place him in the top 10 of NFL tight ends.

Jackson Hawes and Dawson Knox — Sep 18, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Bills tight ends Jackson Hawes (85) and Dawson Knox (88) celebrate Hawes' first career touchdown. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Hawes' presence has allowed the Bills to use more three-tight end sets. They've used 13 personnel on 9.22% of their offensive plays through three games in 2025, the sixth-highest rate in the league, compared to a 2.15% usage rate in 2024, which was the 19th-highest in the league. For reference, the league average 13-personnel usage rate is 3.78%.

The Bills have been very productive out of those sets, as their 9.12 Expected Points Added ranks second among all NFL teams when they use 13 personnel, only second to the Ravens.

Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Bills tight end Jackson Hawes (85) catches a pass against the Baltimore Ravens during the fourth quarter. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

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This has been a big contrast to 2024, when the Bills used an extra offensive lineman, namely Alec Anderson, to get that extra beef up front. They used six O-lineman sets out of 11 personnel on 7.32 percent of their snaps in 2024, the most in the NFL.

Hawes' development is a big testament to the chemistry between Brady, Beane and the rest of the Bills' front office for finding players who fit the offensive scheme and can be utilized effectively.

Buffalo leads the league in total offense and rushing offense while scoring the fourth-most points per game through three weeks, and Hawes has been an underrated yet major force in driving the Bills' attack in their second straight 3-0 start.

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