Bills' most underappreciated player not who fans would expect

The Buffalo Bills, right now, have a roster they think can compete for a Super Bowl, but as we know, it isn't often the top players who are responsible for all of the success; it's the entire roster.

And while there are players who land on highlight tapes like Josh Allen, Khalil Shakir, and others, there are some players who do the work that goes unnoticed, and most of the time, it's work crucial to the team's success.

When looking at every AFC team's most underappreciated player, NFL.com's Gennaro Filice, when looking at Buffalo, has landed on young tight end Jackson Hawes.

"Despite catching just 16 balls as a rookie last season, Hawes played a significant role in Buffalo’s offense as a blocking specialist," Filice wrote. "Just ask the Bills’ offensive linemen, who wax poetic about the tight end’s road-grading efforts."

"With the 6-foot-4, 253-pounder enhancing Buffalo’s blocking, James Cook III just won his first rushing title while the Bills led the league with an average of 159.6 ground yards per game."

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Hawes has good rookie season

Now, it can be hard to measure success for a rookie, particularly an offensive player whose biggest weapon is his blocking ability.

But for Hawes, he played his role in James Cook again, having a superb season, along with Buffalo's continued domination on the ground.

While his blocking chops were what got him drafted, Hawes also showed promise as a pass catcher, hauling in 16 catches for 187 yards and 3 TDs.

Is Hawes underappreciated? Not by those inside the building, that's for sure.

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