The hits keep on coming this week for the Buffalo Bills. And by hits, we mean contract extensions.
After head coach Sean McDermott landed a four-year one earlier this week, left tackle Dion Dawkins landed his own of the same length. Dawkins is now under contract with the Bills through the 2024 season.
Inking the 26-year-old to a new contract was important because simply, he was running out of term with the Bills. As a second-round pick in 2017, Dawkins did not have a fifth-year option on his contract like cornerback Tre’Davious White does. Dawkins needed a new deal, and he got it. So let’s reflect.
Here are six takeaways from his extension with the Bills:
PFF grades
It’s hard to really find any sort of statistics for an offensive lineman. It’s subjective, but the best we’ve got is Pro Football Focus. The football analytics outlet has graded Dawkins’ entire career since the 2017 draft. Of those 48 games Dawkins has played, 43 have been starts. In those three seasons, overall, PFF has handed Dawkins a career grade of 77.2. Much of Dawkins’ career success since his career came in his rookie season. In the second half of his first year in the pros, Dawkins’ grade was an 84.6 in that half of the year. In that time frame, it was actually the fourth-best in the league.
Last season, Dawkins landed at a 73.4 PFF grade after a dip in 2018. That was good for the 25th best tackle mark in the entire league, which also factors in right tackles. Typically a better pass blocker than run blocker, Dawkins graded in those two categories at a 76.4 and 64.0, respectively, last year. In PFF’s grading scale, 73.4 is a slightly above average number. Dawkins was not around the league’s best, but he was sufficient. On the bit more concerning side: Dawkins was credited with allowing four sacks last season and took 11 penalties, according to PFF.