Buffalo Bills draft Dawson Knox in the 3rd round

He may not have gotten to catch many passes in 2018, but the Mafia knows potential when they see it.

And now, Dawson Knox is a Buffalo Bill after being taken with the 96th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

The 6’4, 254-pound tight end out of Brentwood, Tenn. had massive shoes to fill when Evan Engram departed for the NFL in 2017. This was a kid who played quarterback in high school, but coaches raved about his work ethic and solid hands.

But, his work ethic and NFL frame never seemed to get him many chances in former offensive coordinator Phil Longo’s playbook. Knox didn’t have a touchdown catch in 2018, but he averaged more than 18 yards per catch following up a 24 reception season in 2017 where he averaged around 13 yards per reception.

Knox was an attendee at the NFL combine where word of his “freakish” physical ability had gotten around, posting a 34.5” vertical. He didn’t participate in the running drills in Indianapolis coming off sports her i surgery, but he reportedly ran a sub 4.6 40-yard dash multiple times at Ole Miss’ pro day, which would have been potentially one of the fastest tight end times in the combine.

It’s not likely that Knox is immediately ready to be a starter in the NFL, but he has the physical tools to most likely be able to compete in the league for a job for years to come.