This upcoming NFL season is a big one for tight end Dawson Knox.
No. 1 in his position group on the Bills’ roster, Knox has to have a good campaign if he wants to stick around in Buffalo for the long haul. Or at least, as a starter.
This offseason, the Bills opted not to replace him (so far). He’ll be rolled back out there in 2021. Entering the third year of his pro career, Buffalo might look to get more production out of the tight end spot if Knox doesn’t prove to be a starting-caliber player.
If one was to ask Bleacher Report how Knox will fare in this discussion next season, it’s not a good outlook for him. B/R recently pegged one player on each NFL team’s roster that will disappoint and Knox was the pick for the Bills:
When the Buffalo Bills used a third-round pick on former Mississippi tight end Dawson Knox in the 2019 draft, they likely envisioned getting a reliable pass-catcher out of the selection. Unfortunately, while Knox has shown some playmaking ability, reliability has not been his greatest strength.
Knox has just 676 receiving yards and five touchdowns through two seasons, despite playing with one of last year’s most prolific quarterbacks in Josh Allen. While it would be easy to blame his target share for the lack of production—the Bills are loaded at wide receiver—Knox has to bear much of the blame.
Any onlooker from Western New York knows the issue with Knox. The problem is his hands. Drops have been a problem.
Previously a quarterback in high school, Knox moved to tight end in college and played in a talented offense that included the likes of DK Metcalf. Perhaps a lack of touches back then has held back his development as a pass catcher, but he still has had three NFL seasons to get it going and he hasn’t.
Projecting forward to next offseason, the Bills could be in a position to use a high draft pick on a tight end or sign one in free agency if the salary cap goes up. That might just be the final piece to put Buffalo’s offense over the top.
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