Bills trade up to select TE Dalton Kincaid in Round 1
The Buffalo Bills selected Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 25th overall.
Kincaid, considered the top prospect at his position along with Michael Mayer, is the first tight end off the board in 2023. He joins a Buffalo offense that needs more weapons in the passing game.
The Bills gave up the 27th and 130th overall selections to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for pick No. 25. With the trade, Buffalo jumped over the Dallas Cowboys, who own the 26th overall pick and were heavily linked to tight ends before the draft.
Kincaid doesn't stand out when it comes to run-blocking, but the Utah stud can have an immediate impact on Buffalo's offense as a pass-catcher. The 23-year-old amassed 890 yards and eight touchdowns on 70 receptions in 12 games for the Utes last year.
Stefon Diggs was the only Buffalo receiver with over 50 catches in 2022. The Bills also roster wide receiver Gabe Davis, 2022 fifth-round wideout Khalil Shakir, and tight end Dawson Knox, who caught 48 passes for 517 yards and six TDs last season.
Pre-draft profile
Kincaid is the 1B to Mayer's 1A. Who gets picked first will come down to whether a team wants the all-around versatility Mayer offers or the athletic upside you get with Kincaid. The Utah product has some of the best hands in the draft, regularly coming down with balls requiring full extension to snag. Kincaid showed he can also come down with passes thrown into traffic, using the combination of his frame and confidence in his hands to catch difficult receptions. Kincaid is far from the best blocker in the class, but he's willing to mix it up and explodes through defenders when given space to pick up speed before engaging in blocks. That explosion translated as a ball carrier, as Kincaid opted to power through defenders more often than trying to avoid them. Improving technique and strength when playing in-line will dramatically elevate his ability to contribute and could see him become a superstar.