The Buffalo Bills selected Georgia Tech tight end Jackson Hawes in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he's found himself in an expanded role early on in training camp due to injuries to Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox.
Before Sunday's practice, head coach Sean McDermott had some great things to say about the rookie.
"In the absence of both Dawson and at times Dalton, he hasn't blinked in terms of it being too big for him," McDermott said. "He's going out and not only blocked well, but he's performed well overall, so he's off to a good start."
Hawes was an excellent blocker with the Yellow Jackets, and even though shoulder pads have only been on since Monday, he has turned some heads.
The tight end has a mean streak when pushing defenders back on their heels in the run game, and he proved he could adjust to a change in the level of competition when he transferred from Yale in 2024. Now, he's faced with a similar challenge in the NFL.
Hawes could force himself into some playing time early in the season if he keeps up his high performance and if either Kincaid or Knox runs into more injury trouble.
