It's not commonplace for the Buffalo Bills to count on a rookie to fill an important role from the get-go, but chances are that it will happen this year at one spot on the offense.
With Quintin Morris landing with the Jacksonville Jaguars this past spring, the Bills will feature a new third tight end, who will also have to contribute heavily on special teams, in 2025.
Behind Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid on the depth chart, Morris played 214 offensive snaps as TE3 last year and he logged approximately 80 percent of special teams snaps over his three seasons as a Bill. In 2024, he logged a career-high 324 reps as a core contributor on specials.
After opting not to add a tight end through free agency, the Bills drafted former All-Ivy Leaguer Jackson Hawes, who spent the 2024 season at Georgia Tech, with the No. 173 overall pick. He is one of three tight ends on the 90-man roster behind Knox and Kincaid, joining practice squad holdover Zach Davidson and undrafted rookie Keleki Latu.
It should result in one of Buffalo's four hottest position battles at St. John Fisher University this summer.
Here's the full TE3 position battle breakdown with Hawes projected to emerge on the strength of his blocking ability and football IQ.
Tight End 3
2024 Occupant: Quintin Morris
2025 Candidates: Jackson Hawes (R), Zach Davidson, Keleki Latu (R)
Projected Week 1 TE3: Jackson Hawes
While rookies can be wildcards, Hawes isn't exactly your average rookie. With six years of college under his belt, and set to turn 25 years old in December, he has had plenty of time to mature. The physical tight end seems to possess a demeanor that fits the Bills' style.
“Well, you got to have the personality, right? You got to love the friction, you got to love the conflict, the confrontation, as we call it. I think that's the start of any person who likes the physicalness of the game, is you got to want to be in that street fight," said Bills' head coach Sean McDermott during OTAs. "It's really all off of film at this point, because we're in shorts, t-shirts, and helmets, but his personality does seem to speak about, he likes the noise. And some like it, and some don't. We'll see when we get in training camp.”
Considering the competition, Hawes should be considered the preseason favorite for the job.
Although Davidson offers potential as a pass-catcher, there's got to be a reason why he hasn't been able to get off the practice squad. Not to mention, the rookie projects as a more effective blocker and special teamer.
As for Latu, the Washington product appears to be a roster longshot, who needs a sensational training camp to make a tough decision for the front office.
Having drawn critical acclaim for his blocking ability, Hawes has the skill set that Buffalo prefers, but he still needs to prove he can do it in the NFL. The good news is that he may not be as one-dimensional of a prospect as some have suggested. Standing 6'4.5" and weighing 253 pounds, Hawes has both size and a sneaky athleticism that may translate well to the pass game. Targeted sparingly, he totaled 195 yards on 16 catches over 12 games for Georgia Tech.
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