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Bills' Pro Bowler gets overdue respect, named amongst NFL's best at his position

One of Buffalo's most prominent offensive linemen made it on one of Brandon Thorn's recent top-5 lists
Khari Demos|
Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins.
Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Dion Dawkins is no Rodney Dangerfield; he's getting his respect.

The Buffalo Bills' left tackle and three-time Pro Bowler was recently listed as the NFL's fourth-best left tackle, according to offensive and defensive line analyst Brandon Thorn.

“The Shnowman” was at the top of Thorn's Tier 2 rankings, trailing only Trent Williams, Tristan Wirfs and Rashawn Slater in Tier 1.

"He backs up his status on the field with a uniquely violent, unbridled playing style," said Thorn in his substack piece about the rankings. "Paired with sneaky good athletic ability and a truly dominant 'Ice Pick' technique that he spams against the best edge-rushers in the league on a weekly basis."

The tecnique Thorn called out of Dawkins' is when he strikes a guy, then pulls them down, and sometimes concludes it with a belly flop. He's become so proficient at it, Thorn says he's the game's best at it at left tackle.

And while there are things in his game that he can clean up, Thorn notes how Dawkins has continued to progress throughout his career.

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"Dawkins’ ultra-aggressive approach still lends itself to more variance in pass protection than the tier one group," Thorn said. "But he has bridged that gap to the point where he deserves to sit atop a loaded tier two entering 2025."

To Thorn's point, Dawkins has improved over the years, too. He posted Tier 3 rankings in 2021 and 2022, was unranked in 2023, before making his return in 2024 as a Tier 2 player.

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Aside from former NFL offensive lineman Brian Baldinger, there is almost no other football pundit around who can talk offensive line like Thorn. So to see this assessment of Dawkins should garner that much more merit.

The hope for Dawkins, and Josh Allen's sake, is that he can continue to improve and break that glass ceiling that is Tier 1 next year following his 2025 performance.

Dion Dawkins and James Cook
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook (4) and Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins (73). | Grace Smith-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

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Khari Demos
KHARI DEMOS

Khari Demos is an award-winning sports media creator and is a contributor for Bills On SI. He has written sports betting article covering the NFL for The Athletic and has written pieces about the NBA, MLB, college football and basketball, and more, throughout his career.

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