Dion Dawkins did whatever Temple needed him to do in his four seasons with the Owls. The 6’4, 314-pound lineman started at each tackle position and earned All-AAC honors while developing a reputation as a mean, path-clearing run blocker.
Dion Dawkins drafted by the Bills after trade with Falcons
The Temple offensive lineman is talented, but his NFL position is unclear.
Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
That was enough to earn him a second-round grade from the Bills, who snapped him up with the 63rd pick of the 2017 NFL draft.
However, concerns about his pass protection and whether or not he’s good enough to stay at tackle raise one big question: Was Dawkins, who wasn’t highly recruited out of high school in New Jersey and labeled himself a “no-star,” a reach?
The Temple product was projected everywhere from the late first round to the early fourth as scouts and executives struggled to find common ground. He’ll have plenty to prove as he jumps to the next level and cuts his teeth in the league.
Is Dion Dawkins worthy of his draft stock?
Dawkins was one of college’s toughest players, starting his last 40 games and exhibiting a real mean streak at left tackle. He’s a well-built blocker who engages defenders and pushes them around with superb upper-body strength. He was an excellent run blocker.
He began to transition to an interior role at the Senior Bowl, where he showed potential at guard. He pulls well and gets upfield to seal blocks at the second level with quickness. Dawkins keeps his pads low and explodes through his assignments; at Temple, his work upfront helped the Owls run for more than 176 yards per game.
That makes him a building block for a power running team. Here he is sealing an off-tackle run against Notre Dame last fall.
Why do some pundits think he’s a reach?
Dawkins’ run blocking is significantly ahead of his pass blocking. He struggles with quicker edge rushers, who beat him with pure speed around the corner or with lateral cuts to the inside. That weakness will be mitigated by a move to guard, but is still something he’ll need to work.
He can be stiff with his footwork, which he compensates for with upper-body strength. He won’t have the same advantage in the NFL as he had in the AAC.
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