Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid has had an up-and-down career through three seasons in the NFL, but that is largely due to injury. When he has been on the field for the Bills, he has produced.
In Pro Football Focus’ ranking of the top 10 tight ends in the NFL ahead of the 2026 season, Kincaid came in at number six on the list:
Kincaid’s presence when healthy is huge for the Bills offense. He adds a premier separator at the tight end position and one who is trusted by quarterback Josh Allen. The Bills went just 2-3 in the games that Kincaid missed last season and were 9-2 with him in the lineup. They scored 30 points per game with him and only 23 without him. Over the last two years, he’s missed nine games.
The injuries that have kept Kincaid off the field have also limited him when he is on the field. He had just a 37% snap share in 2025 and appeared in 12 games. He hovered around a 50% snap share through the first month of the season, but after an oblique injury in Week 5 against the Patriots, the highest snap share he saw for the rest of the year was just 38% in Week 17 against the Browns.
So, how is a part-time player viewed as a top-six TE by PFF? It’s because the threat of him as a pass-catcher is undeniable, and it’s why the Bills moved up to pick him in the first round in 2023.
In 2025, Kincaid was extremely efficient with his opportunities. Despite only having 49 targets on the season (29th in the NFL among tight ends), he led all tight ends in crucial categories such as yards per reception (14.6), yards per target (11.7), yards per route run (2.79), passer rating when targeted (149.2). His 2.79 YPRR ranked third in the entire NFL, trailing only Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He finished the year as the third-highest-graded tight end in the league by PFF.
So, while Kincaid hasn’t amassed 70 catches or 600 yards since his rookie year, he is as efficient as it gets as a pass-catcher, it’s just a matter of being available for his team. Since missing the tail end of 2024 after the torn PCL, Kincaid and the Bills have clearly had a plan to try and limit him throughout the year while he continues to regain strength in his knee and other areas.
There were positive signs at this May’s OTAs regarding Kincaid’s health and conditioning. Newly-appointed head coach Joe Brady loved what he saw from Kincaid:
“Dalton did everything he needed to do last offseason,” Brady said. “Part of it was just trying to get a feel of how he was gonna be able to play with some of the injuries. He’s as competitive as it gets. It was cool to see him come back this offseason, and he looks bigger. We do some competitions in camp, and he’s out there kind of dominating it… we did a little tug-of-war, and he was the anchor. There’s confidence in his strength and his physicality right now. I don’t need him to be Jackson Hawes, digging out blocks every play. I feel like he’s in a really good head space right now. Him and Josh Allen always have great chemistry. We know what our offense has looked like with him on the field.”
Kincaid was able to see just below 50% of the snaps in the two playoff games last year and scored a touchdown in both games. In 2026, Buffalo is hoping to see that snap count increase. With the addition of D.J. Moore at receiver this year, it should open up the field a bit for guys like Khalil Shakir and Kincaid. If Kincaid can remain healthy, the sky is the limit for Buffalo’s offense.
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Where does Bills’ Dalton Kincaid rank among NFL tight ends?
Reporting by Kam Towle, Bills Wire / Bills Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kam Towle, Bills Wire | USA TODAY Network
