When you watch a Buffalo Bills game, you are usually focused on the star power, you know, the guys with the big contracts and the highlight-reel catches.
You see the speed of St.
Brown or the route running of Diggs, and honestly, it is easy to overlook the big guy down the middle.
But if you really pay attention to the film, you start to see Dawson Knox emerging as something much more than just a safety valve.
He isn’t just the big target in the red zone; he is the guy Josh Allen trusts when the pressure is collapsing on the pocket.
Table of Contents
- From Ole Miss to the NFL: The Draft Story
- The Art of Being Big in the NFL
- Josh Allen and Dawson: The Connection
- More Than Just a Catch
- The Toll of the Physical Game
- What’s Next for Knox?
From Ole Miss to the NFL: The Draft Story
Most tight ends in the NFL come from high-powered offenses or fancy spread schemes, but Dawson Knox carved his path a little differently.
He played at the University of Mississippi, an SEC school where the competition is absolutely brutal.
It wasn’t like he was playing in a system that threw the ball fifty times a game. Here’s the interesting part.
He had to fight for every inch, every yard, and that grit, honestly, is what translates to the NFL. Oddly enough,
He went undrafted in 2019, which is tough to hear when you know he has the talent, but the Buffalo Bills scooped him up as an undrafted free agent.
It turned out to be one of the best value picks in recent memory.
It is funny how the draft works, isn’t it? You can watch a guy at Ole Miss dominate in the SEC and think, “Okay, this guy is going to be a star,” and then the league goes in a totally different direction for that position.
Dawson was passed over, which probably stung, but it gave him a chip on his shoulder that you see every Sunday.
He had to prove himself in training camp, fighting for roster spots against guys who might have been drafted ahead of him.
He didn’t just make the team; he became a starter pretty quickly, a testament to his physical dominance and raw ability to get open.
The Art of Being Big in the NFL
Look at the way Dawson Knox plays the game and you see a specific skill set that is becoming harder to find.
He is listed at 6’6″ and 248 pounds, which makes him a matchup nightmare for linebackers and safeties alike.
But it isn’t just his height; it is his hands. But there’s a catch.
I’ve watched him catch passes that look like they are behind him or over his shoulder, just snatching them out of the air with total confidence.
That kind of catch radius is invaluable, especially when you have a quarterback like Josh Allen who can sling the ball 60 yards downfield on a rope.
And let’s be real, watching him maneuver through traffic is a treat.
He knows how to use his body to shield the defender from the ball, creating that little pocket of space where he can secure the catch.
It isn’t always pretty; sometimes he drops a ball that looks catchable, but when he makes a grab, it feels earned.
He fights for every yard after the catch, too, refusing to go down until he has gained extra yards. Oddly enough,
It is this relentless effort that fans start to fall in love with, even if he doesn’t always get the glory.
Josh Allen and Dawson: The Connection
One of the things that makes the Buffalo Bills offense so scary is the chemistry between the quarterback and his tight ends.
Dawson Knox isn’t just a random target; he is an extension of Josh Allen’s arm.
When Allen escapes the pocket and sees the defense collapsing, he instinctively looks for the big guy down the middle.
There is a level of trust there that develops over time, a silent understanding that only comes from thousands of reps together.
They know where each other will be before the play even starts.
It reminds me of the old days with Gronk and Brady, not necessarily the exact same style, but that dynamic of having a tight end who can win one-on-one matchups.
When the defense keys in on Diggs or St.
Brown, they have to account for Knox in the middle of the field.
It opens up the playbook for the entire team.
If the defense plays tight, Allen throws it to Knox.
If they back off, he throws it to the slot receiver.
It’s a chess match, and Dawson is a huge piece of that puzzle.
More Than Just a Catch
Now, we can’t ignore the blocking aspect, even though it isn’t the most glamorous part of the game.
Dawson Knox is a legitimate blocker, which is something a lot of modern tight ends struggle with.
He takes on linebackers and sometimes even defensive ends, often absorbing a massive hit to spring a runner for a first down.
It’s not always pretty to watch, and his technique isn’t always textbook perfect, but the result matters.
He finishes blocks and tries to create lanes.
Some critics say his blocking is a liability, but I think that misses the point.
In today’s NFL, you need tight ends who can do it all.
You can’t just be a glorified receiver; you have to be able to block in the run game to open up play-action passes.
Dawson embraces that role, even if it means getting his nose dirty.
He understands that his value to the team isn’t just the highlight reel, but also the grind in the trenches on third and short.
The Toll of the Physical Game
It has not been all smooth sailing for Dawson, obviously.
The NFL is a violent sport, and injuries are part of the deal. But there’s a catch.
He has dealt with some nagging shoulder issues and, most notably, a concussion that sidelined him for a chunk of the season.
Concussions are scary, man, and you have to respect the league for how they handle them now.
Seeing a player you root for go through that is tough.
It makes you realize that these are real people with families back home, not just robots playing a game.
- Shoulder injuries and durability concerns.
- Critical concussion in the 2022 season.
- Impact on playing time and speed of return.
Despite these setbacks, he has always managed to bounce back.
There is a resilience there that speaks volumes about his character.
He doesn’t complain about the injuries or the pressure; he just goes back to work.
That kind of mental toughness is exactly what you want in a leader, especially for a young team like the Bills are trying to build.
What’s Next for Knox?
So, where does he go from here? The contract situation is always a hot topic in the NFL, and Dawson is entering a contract year or two, depending on how you look at it. Oddly enough,
He has shown that he is a Pro Bowl caliber player, so you have to think the Bills want to keep him.
But the salary cap is a beast, and the league is full of teams with money burning a hole in their pockets.
It’s going to be interesting to see how this plays out.
I think if he stays healthy for a full season and puts up similar numbers to what he did in 2021, he is going to command a massive payday.
He has earned that right through his hard work.
Whether that is with the Bills or somewhere else, the market is going to be wide open for him.
For now, all he can do is keep producing and let the chips fall where they may.
Final Thoughts
Watching Dawson Knox play football is kind of like watching a freight train.
He’s big, he’s strong, and he’s moving fast.
You might not always notice him at first, but once he gets going, there is no stopping him.
He represents everything that is great about the NFL: the underdog story, the grit, and the relentless pursuit of a team goal.
It would be a shame to see him leave Buffalo, but if he does, he’s going to make a lot of other teams very happy.
For now, I’m just going to enjoy watching him make those one-handed grabs and block people into next week.
He is the kind of player you root for, not because he is flashy, but because he works his tail off.
In a league full of superstars, Dawson Knox is the unsung hero who quietly does his job better than almost anyone else.
And honestly, that is the best kind of player to have on your team.
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