Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update: Dawson Knox, TE BUF

Ryan Finley Posted On June 19, 2019

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Name: Dawson Knox

Position: Tight End

Pro Team: Buffalo Bills

College Team: Ole Miss

Draft Status: Round three, 96th overall

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

COMBINE REVIEW

Height: 6’4”
Weight: 254 pounds
Arms: 32 1/2”
Hands: 9 3/4”
40-yard dash: 4.58 seconds (Pro Day)
Bench press: 16 reps
Vertical jump: 34.5”
Broad jump: 122.0” (Pro Day)
Three-cone drill: 7.12 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.27 seconds

STRENGTHS

Willing blocker on the line of scrimmage
Good blocking technique with quick feet and well-timed punch
Experience in playing halfback and blocking in the hole
Catches the ball away from his body down the field
Great burst off the line
Long speed for big gains
Keeps legs churning in the pile for extra yardage
Plays with an attitude

WEAKNESSES

Better blocker off the line than in the hole
Can miss assignments when attempting to block downfield
Has trouble blocking DBs with speed and power
Unsure hands at times – some double catches that should be routine
No big moves or power down the field to finish the play
Limited evidence of the ability to high-point the ball

OPPORTUNITIES

To say Knox was under-utilized at Ole Miss is an understatement. In the past two seasons he had a mere 39 catches for just over 600 yards, with a paltry 15 catches in 2018. So why should we care? Well, he did run a 4.58 forty and showed the ability to separate again and again. And his lack of production could be tagged to the fact that there were some pretty darn good receiving weapons on the same team in AJ Brown and DK Metcalf.

Knox’s new team, the Buffalo Bills finished with a 6-10 record in 2017. This was a disappointment after a 9-7 record the previous season that ended with a playoff berth. Though the 2018 record was a disappointment, rookie quarterback Josh Allen surprised with a strong first season. Knox should get plenty of chances to show what he can do on the field, and perhaps his playmaking potential will help Allen to a successful second season.

THREATS

The Bills’ depth chart at tight end is not intimidating. They brought in some veteran help in former Bengal Tyler Kroft, and though he is interesting as a player he’s no superstar. Last year’s sometimes surprising Jason Croom is still in town as well, but I expect the overall road is clear to a lot of playing time for Knox. The Bills don’t really have any target magnets at wide receiver either, so Knox will have at least the chance to produce.

SHORT-TERM EXPECTATIONS

With the lack of superstar playmakers in town, Knox could see early work and production. Allen and his cannon arm can take advantage of Knox’s ability to separate up the seam, and Allen’s legs and ability to extend plays leaves the door open for a tight end safety valve. Knox is at least capable of being both of those things. There are new mouths to feed in this offense in John Brown, Cole Beasley, TJ Yeldon and more, and it’s unclear how all the pieces will fit together. But since there are few clear front-runners, it could work in Knox’s favor.

LONG-TERM EXPECTATIONS

I see Knox as more of a high floor player than one with a high ceiling. He has speed, but he doesn’t quite have the hands or route running to really make that speed pay dividends. It is possible he can improve in those areas, however, and if he does he could have a better long-term future. His blocking ability will keep him on the field quite a bit, and that combined with what he can already do as a receiver may land him the primary starting tight end job with Buffalo in the near future. While I don’t see top five upside, I could very easily see Knox as a top 12 option at a tough position.

NFL PLAYER COMPARISON

For me, Knox is a good example of a strong combo tight end. A player who can both do strong work as a blocker and make defenses pay with his speed and pass catching ability. We sometimes underrate the ability to block in tight end prospects, focusing instead on the athletic freaks. If you ask me, I’ll take the do-it-all tight ends over the metric marvels any day. With better hands and smoother routes I’d compare him to Hunter Henry, but I don’t think Knox is in that same class. Maybe a better comparison in the current NFL is Trey Burton.

PROJECTED ROOKIE DRAFT RANGE

Although there has been some buzz around Knox, it focuses on him as a late round target. His current startup ADP is 204, and his rookie ADP is way down in the mid 40s. I see him as a great pickup in the late third, or he could even make it to the post draft waivers. I like his situation and skill-set at tight end, and the price is most certainly right.