Getty Dion Dawkins looks to make a block against Taco Charlton in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Buffalo Bills tackle Dion Dawkins is headed for a breakout next season, NFL.com predicts.
The outlet predicted Pro Bowlers for every AFC team in 2021, and Josh Allen’s protector was pegged as a first-time representative for the Bills. The outlet now joins others in predicting a big season for the 27-year-old, with others agreeing that he could be recognized as one the league’s best.
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Big Praise for Dawkins
As the NFL.com report noted, there had been some lingering concerns that Dawkins had failed to top the performance of his rookie season, but predicted that the fifth year would be the best yet for the 6-foot-5, 320-pound left tackle. He was one of the team’s most reliable run blockers and pass protectors in 2020, the report noted.
The outlet praised Dawkins for his athleticism, noting that the team had already made a hefty investment in his future.
“Josh Allen’s fireball rise is grounded in his almost-supernatural athletic gifts, but Buffalo brass deserve credit, too, for creating a stable environment. Dawkins — who landed a four-year, $60 million extension last August — is linked to Allen’s future for years to come as a bookend on the rise.”
Dawkins has brought some other skills to Buffalo, an unlikely red zone target and the only player to catch a touchdown pass from Allen’s in each of the quarterback’s first two years in the NFL. As USA Today’s Bills Wire noted, other outlets have been heaping praise on Dawkins as he moves into his fifth year in the NFL.
NFL execs highlight #Bills OL Dion Dawkins in rankings:
Dawkins Happy in Buffalo
The big left tackle seems to be very content with the situation in Buffalo, opening up how happy he is to see the front office showing faith in the players they’ve drafted. In a June appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Dawkins said he’s impressed at the character of the players around him.
“It was a great blend of character”
@BuffaloBills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins showered the front office with praise for how they’ve built this Bills team over the last few years.
⬇️ LISTEN HERE ⬇️ #BillsMafia
“I honestly think that the upstairs guys, which is what I call Brandon Beane and his guys, they did a great job of drafting character,” Dawkins said, via the team’s official website. “Guys who aren’t full of themselves and are people persons. Guys who have histories that aren’t perfect, or were underdogs. We were taught to get it the hard way and because they drafted guys like me and Tre’Davious and Milano, who are still here, it was a great blend of character, which was contagious in the locker room. And that helped the next guy and the next guy and it became a giant room of character men.”
Buffalo has shown faith in Dawkins from the start, trading three draft picks–No. 75, No. 149 and No. 156 overall—to the Atlanta Falcons so they could move up in the second round of the 2017 draft to land him. After the team gave him a $60-million extension last year, Dawkins said it made him even more motivated to perform.
“When I got paid, I took it personal to be at a certain level and higher that I held myself to,” Dawkins told the Buffalo News. “I’m just ‘Dawk,’ man. Like, I’m going to just keep doing what I can do to the best ability that I can. It won’t be perfect, as we all know, I make mistakes, too, but I take it personal. I love my team and I love Josh, and my job is to protect Josh. Because I love Josh, I protect Josh. Whatever comes with it, comes with it.”
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