Dion Dawkins - is he the best Bills draft pick (after Allen) of the past 15+ years?

[Fan in Chicago]

4 hours ago, dave mcbride said:

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DawkDi00.htm

 

He is an 8-year starter at left tackle (obviously a premium position), objectively good at it (multiple pro bowls) and has only missed two games (in 2022) in his entire career.  Pretty good for a late second round pick (63rd overall). I wouldn't say he's the best LT in the league by any stretch (he's not Trent Williams), but I see him as a player who is consistently in the top 10 at his position -- a position for which it's very hard to find good players. 

I still remember the painful years when we floundered to get a good LT. Having Dawkins stabilize and solidify that position has been very refreshing. Plus he is highly available too. 

He will end up on our wall of fame and is one of my favorites from this century with the likes of Moulds, Eric Wood, Aaron Schobel, Kyle Williams, Tre White

Edited 46 minutes ago by Fan in Chicago

[EasternOHBillsFan]

FOR SURE it is Dion... you can't be the best if you don't play for multiple games in a row over multiple seasons.

[balln]

1 hour ago, dave mcbride said:

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DawkDi00.htm

 

He is an 8-year starter at left tackle (obviously a premium position), objectively good at it (multiple pro bowls) and has only missed two games (in 2022) in his entire career.  Pretty good for a late second round pick (63rd overall). I wouldn't say he's the best LT in the league by any stretch (he's not Trent Williams), but I see him as a player who is consistently in the top 10 at his position -- a position for which it's very hard to find good players. 

No way. Taron Johnson 

 

taron has been 2nd team all pro 

 

had pick 6 to win playoff game vs ravens

 

plays well vs kc

 

dion nice player. But not better than taron. Dion gets walked back in crunch time. Chris jones, will anderson recently 

Edited 3 hours ago by balln

[uticaclub]

Definitely our best 2nd round selection. Hopefully, Coleman and Bishop give him a challenge for that title.

[HOUSE]

59 minutes ago, Maynard said:

Yes, I would say so. Hope he retires as a Bill. 

He could sign with the Eagles and play another 20 years

[Low Positive]

Anytime you get a LT that starts for your team for a decade, it was a tremendous draft pick. NFL scouts will tell you that OL is the hardest position to project to the next level, so any time you hit on one of them it is a huge benefit for the franchise. 

[strive_for_five_guy]

I’d say close between all the guys mentioned (Dion, Milano, Tre, Taron & Gilmore).  Injuries obviously hold back the cases for Milano & Tre, although both have arguably performed at higher levels for the Bills too than Dawkins.  Gilmore obviously disappointing he only played a small part of his career here and I’m not really a fan of the guy, but he definitely played up to where he was drafted by being considered one of the top corners in the game for awhile.

[Einstein]

1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

I think there is a VERY strong case that he is. He is just such a reliable guy.

 

Unless there is 2 minutes left in the 4th in a big game. Then he WILL get bull rushed.

 

But he is absolutely a top LT and in the bottom 3 least of our problems.

[dave mcbride]

7 minutes ago, Einstein said:

 

Unless there is 2 minutes left in the 4th in a big game. Then he WILL get bull rushed.

 

But he is absolutely a top LT and in the bottom 3 least of our problems.

Hard to play LT vs Anderson when you absolutely have to avoid ANY semblance of holding. That's a really, really hard spot for a lineman to be in.  

53 minutes ago, Allen2D̶i̶g̶g̶s̶TBD said:

In terms of Value, getting Milano in the 5th, Taron in the 4th, and Benford in the 6th were his best picks IMO.

Late second for a cornerstone LT is arguably far better value than a fifth round-round off-ball LB or 4th-round nickel back. Positional value matters. So many LTs go in the first.

[SoCal Deek]

The frightening part is that you really have to search up and down the roster to find players that fit this measuring stick. Every week I see teams with stud game changing pass rushers and can’t believe that with the Bills it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack!!

[Low Positive]

6 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

Late second for a cornerstone LT is arguably far better value than a fifth round-round off-ball LB or 4th-round nickel back. Positional value matters. So many LTs go in the first.

And a lot of those that do end up busting. 

[Einstein]

21 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

Hard to play LT vs Anderson when you absolutely have to avoid ANY semblance of holding. That's a really, really hard spot for a lineman to be in.  

Late second for a cornerstone LT is arguably far better value than a fifth round-round off-ball LB or 4th-round nickel back. Positional value matters. So many LTs go in the first.

 

Im not sure who Anderson is.

[ChevyVanMiller]

[dave mcbride]

2 minutes ago, Einstein said:

 

Im not sure who Anderson is.

Um ... third overall pick of the draft last year, defensive rookie of the year, and a guy on pace for 15.5 sacks this season?

[Bruffalo]

He's a franchise LT who has played great even though he's had a revolving door of guards. The only person you can make an argument for otherwise is Taron. 

[Einstein]

20 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

Um ... third overall pick of the draft last year, defensive rookie of the year, and a guy on pace for 15.5 sacks this season?

 

What does that have to do with what I said? I’m a bit confused.

You brought him up out of nowhere

[dave mcbride]

3 minutes ago, Einstein said:

 

What does that have to do with what I said? I’m a bit confused.

He was bull rushed by Anderson in the final seconds of the Houston game -- something you specifically mentioned in your post. My point was a) Anderson is REALLY good and not some JAG and b) it's really hard to play LT in that situation given that a holding call immediately causes the Bills to lose. You can't do anything that can be construed as holding in that situation. It's not an easy spot for a lineman, especially when the opponents KNOW you're going to pass on 3rd and 10 because you have to get a first.

Edited 2 hours ago by dave mcbride

[GoBills808]

1 hour ago, balln said:

No way. Taron Johnson 

 

taron has been 2nd team all pro 

 

had pick 6 to win playoff game vs ravens

 

plays well vs kc

 

dion nice player. But not better than taron. Dion gets walked back in crunch time. Chris jones, will anderson recently 

this

[Einstein]

9 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

He was bull rushed by Anderson in the final seconds of the Houston game -- something you specifically mentioned in your post.

 

Ok, got it. You were focusing on one specific situation, when I was talking about an overall tendency throughout his entire career. I wasn’t thinking about Houston at all.

[GoBills808]

Dawkins has been part of some bad olines

 

the secondary has been stellar ever since they started Taron Johnson