The Buffalo Bills moved up to the No. 25 slot in the 2023 NFL Draft on Thursday night to grab another weapon for Josh Allen: tight end Dalton Kincaid out of Utah.
Buffalo vaulted over Dallas, also in the market for a TE, by trading the No. 27 and 130 overall selections to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Unlike some other tight ends in this class, Kincaid's greatest strength is in the passing game. His five-year collegiate career -- which began at the University of San Diego before he transferred to Utah -- stands as proof of his capability as a productive pass catcher. Kincaid finished with 175 receptions for 2,623 yards and 35 touchdowns over five seasons, including a career-high 70 catches for 890 yards and eight touchdowns in his final campaign with the Utes in 2022.
Kincaid earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors and third-team All-American status in his senior season, capping a stellar collegiate career with some hardware that fits his standing as the only Football Bowl Subdivision tight end with eight-plus receiving touchdowns in each of the last two seasons.
At 6-foot-4 and 246 pounds, Kincaid plays like a big receiver, running routes fluidly and displaying some of the surest hands in college football. He can be a mismatch against linebackers based on athleticism and has an innate ability to get open and haul in most everything thrown within his catch radius. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein appropriately compared Kincaid to Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz. If Kincaid lives up to the billing, it'd be a coup for Buffalo.
Kincaid's ability to beat man coverage fits well for the Bills, especially in the red zone, where Buffalo needed help.
Kincaid, the only TE selected in the first round on Thursday, joins Dawson Knox in the Bills' tight ends room and gives Buffalo a chess piece to move around the formation.
The selection gives Allen another dynamic option in the passing game to go along with Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis and Knox. The rich get richer in Western New York.
