Buffalo Rookie Draws Rave Reviews After Week 5
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Bills tight end Jackson Hawes at Highmark Stadium on September 07, 2025.
There have been mixed reviews on the 2025 Buffalo Bills draft class, but one of the surprise players has been tight end Jackson Hawes.
Buffalo took Hawes in the fifth round out of Georgia Tech and has been one of the best players on the team so far this season.
Hawes Earns An Honor On PFF’s Week 5 Rookie Team
In the Bills‘ 23-20 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday, Hawes showcased a solid performance that earned him a spot on Pro Football Focus’s Week 5 Rookie Team.
“Jackson Hawes has been an interesting case this season,” Jim Wyman wrote on Tuesday. “He’s the highest-graded tight end in the NFL through five weeks with a 90.7 overall grade, yet you wouldn’t know it from checking the box score. Hawes has just four catches for 54 yards all season, and none came in Buffalo’s Sunday night loss to the Patriots. However, his blocking has been so good that he’s become a valuable member of this offense. Hawes generated a 73.9 pass-blocking grade and was even better as a run blocker, garnering an 80.3 grade.”
Hawes recorded 20 snaps on Sunday, with 14 of them dedicated to running plays. It seems the Bills have found a great role for Hawes, using him as an effective run blocker. He has significantly contributed to the running game this season.
PFF ranks the Bills as the fourth-best rushing attack so far this season and the No. 1 run-blocking team.
Hawes Could Be The Bills’ No. 1 Tight End One Day
The rookie tight end is playing so well this season that The Athletics‘ Joe Buscaglia thinks Hawes could be the Bills’ No. 1 tight end in the future.
“Hawes received a little buzz over the first few weeks for his blocking ability, and that’s definitely the top draw of his game,” Buscaglia wrote on Oct. 1. “He has allowed the Bills to almost completely do away with their jumbo formation, which had become a staple of their offensive game plan in 2024.”
Hawes, with his exceptional run-blocking skills, has given the Bills greater flexibility this season. Instead of bringing in an extra offensive lineman for run blocking, they can rely on Hawes to fill that role.
“Last season, to get an extra boost in the running game, the Bills would sub in reserve offensive lineman Alec Anderson for a skill position player,” Buscaglia added. The offensive line was playing well enough by itself, but the Bills became difficult to defend against the run with Anderson on the field as the added blocker.”
Bringing in an additional offensive lineman typically indicates that the play will be a run. This predictability allowed teams to anticipate the Bills‘ strategies last season.
“The primary problem with the jumbo formation is that it made the Bills far more predictable than they would have preferred to be,” Buscaglia wrote. “Even if they didn’t run the ball with Anderson on the field, it took a viable pass catcher off the field and made the Bills easier to defend with only four, sometimes three receiving options on a given play.”
Now that Hawes is in the mix, Buffalo doesn’t have to use the extra offensive lineman, which could catch teams off guard. Opposing teams now have to defend both the run and the pass with Hawes on the field.
Tampa Bay Lightning Announce 2025-26 Opening Night Roster
The Tampa Bay Lightning have announced their opening night roster for the 2025-26 season. The lineup consists of many of the same stars fans have gotten to know, along with a few new faces.
A couple of notable additions are prospect forward Jack Finley and free-agent pickup Pontus Holmberg. Forward Curtis Douglas was added recently as a waiver claim. Defenseman Max Crozier, who has played 18 career NHL games over the last two seasons with the Lightning, cracked the roster to start things off as well.
The Lightning will also notably roll with a third goalie on the roster. Pheonix Copley was picked up off waivers last week, and he could potentially help fill gaps where starting goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy might need extra rest.
As reported previously, Nick Paul will be absent for the first month or so of the season. They’ll be without Zemgus Girgensons as well.
Here is the breakdown of the roster as the Lightning look to not just make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the ninth season in a row, but make it past the first round since they reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2022.
Lightning 2025-26 Opening Night Roster
Forwards (13): Oliver Borkstrand, Mitchell Chaffee, Anthony Cirelli, Curtis Douglas, Jack Finley, Conor Geekie, Gage Goncalves, Yanni Gourde, Jake Guentzel, Bandon Hagel, Pontus Holmberg, Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point
Defensemen (7): Erik Cernak, Max Crozier, Victor Hedman, Emil Lilleberg, Ryan McDonagh, JJ Moser, Darren Raddysh
Goalies (3): Pheonix Copley, Jonas Johansson, Andrei Vasilevskiy
Injured and/or Non-Roster: Zemgus Girgensons (IR), Niko Huuhtanen (IR/NR), Nick Paul (IR)
Those who are new to the roster will aim to provide the Lightning with the depth they have been lacking over the last couple of seasons, most notably in the bottom six. The Lightning will open the season on Thursday, Oct. 9, when they host the Ottawa Senators at the newly named Benchmark International Arena. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.
Emmy Award-wining, behind the scenes series, 'Recharge', set to return for a seventh season tomorrow night
Episode 1 will debut on the Lightning's YouTube channel at 5 p.m.
The Tampa Bay Lightning’s Emmy Award-winning behind the scenes series, Recharge, returns for a seventh season this week. Episode 1 of the season, entitled “Another Go,” will debut on
The season premiere immerses fans in the latest chapter of the Bolts’ journey as head coach Jon Cooper enters his 13th full season leading the team. With consistency as a guiding principle, the Lightning return with a roster largely intact from last year’s campaign. “Another Go” introduces fans to some of the new faces in Tampa Bay, including forward Pontus Holmberg and the newest addition to the coaching staff, Dan Hinote.
Fans will follow the Bolts beyond the rink as Recharge takes them inside George M. Steinbrenner Field for Victor Hedman’s ceremonial first pitch ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays’ matchup with the Boston Red Sox. The team also had the chance to explore the facilities and take some swings in the batting cages at the Rays’ temporary home.
The episode also dives into the team’s franchise-best 6-0-0 start to the preseason and the tools needed to continue its strong play into the regular season. One of which is the Lightning power play, led by reigning Art Ross Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov.
Viewers will get an intimate look into the lives of players off the ice, including forward Jake Guentzel, who reflects on settling his family into Tampa and the camaraderie of a roster now wearing the Lightning bolt for another season together. With minimal roster turnover, expectations remain high for the Lightning as the team embarks on the 2025-26 campaign.
Fans can go back and relive all the magic and stories from previous seasons of Recharge by visiting HERE on TampaBayLightning.com.
