Many NFL fans are familiar with top Bills players, such as quarterback Josh Allen, running back James Cook and newly acquired wide receiver DJ Moore. However, the most important players on the team may be those flying under the radar. According to Brent Sobleski from Bleacher Report, tight end Jackson Hawes is one of Buffalo’s “best-kept secrets” heading into OTAs.
“The Buffalo Bills were ahead of the curve when the organization chose Jackson Hawes in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft,” Sobleski wrote on Monday. “By drafting Hawes a year earlier, the Bills landed the best pure blocker among the last two classes and got him at a discounted price, considering half-a-dozen inline options were taken between this year’s second and fourth rounds. Hawes is a tone-setter and trendsetter as a blocking tight end, with some upside to contribute in Buffalo’s passing attack.”
The Bills selected Hawes with the No. 173 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft out of Georgia Tech. Last season, Hawes played in all 17 games, recording 16 receptions for 187 yards and three touchdowns. Despite these numbers, catching the ball isn’t his main focus; he brings much more to the team than just his stats.
Hawes was one of the Best Blockers Last Season
Buffalo brought in Hawes to serve as a blocking tight end, and he excelled in that role last season. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the top rookie, largely due to his outstanding run-blocking skills.
“The Bills were the sixth-best run-blocking team this regular season (75.7), with Hawes thriving in that department,” Lauren Gray wrote on Jan. 6. “The fifth-round pick played 335 run-blocking snaps at a team-high 70.4% rate. While Hawes struggled in gap-blocking schemes (55.8 PFF run-blocking grade), he earned the third-best PFF zone run-blocking grade (83.5) and ranked third at the position in overall PFF run-blocking grade (74.0).”
PFF isn’t the only outlet recognizing how exceptional a blocker Hawes is; even his teammates consider him one of the best in the game. After the Bills’ victory over the Miami Dolphins last September, guard David Edwards had high praise for Hawes.
“He fires me up. He is, without a doubt, the best blocking tight end I’ve ever seen,” Edwards said, via Bills On SI’s Ralph Ventre. “His ability to win one-on-one blocks, on the edge, in combination on outside zone, backside of zone plays, is truly the best I’ve ever seen.”
Hawes Makes Things Easier on Cook and the Rest of the Bills’ Offense
The Bills struck gold with Hawes, as he makes the offense significantly easier to run. When Hawes is on the field, he serves as an additional blocker, almost like an extra offensive lineman, which is one of the reasons Cook had such a breakout season last year.
Cook enjoyed the best season of his career in rushing yards in 2025, racking up 1,621 yards, which topped the NFL. If it hadn’t been for Hawes, there’s a good chance Cook wouldn’t have hit that number.
The encouraging news is that Hawes was only a rookie last season, meaning he has plenty of room to grow, which could spell trouble for the rest of the NFL.
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