This is the fifth in a series looking at the status of each position before the Buffalo Bills report to training camp on July 23. This installment: Offensive tackles.
Pro Bowl and Walter Payton Man of the Year nods aside, Aaron Kromer thinks left tackle Dion Dawkins still has more to prove. Kromer, the Buffalo Bills offensive line coach, just knows the job his starting tackle can do, and he wants more people to be talking about it.
“Dion’s another guy who I want to say is still underrated,” Kromer told The Buffalo News. “He does such a good job of pass protection.”
Last season, Dawkins had what he and many coaches and teammates believed was his best to date. But the offensive line is always held to tough standards.
“The fact is, on the offensive line, it’s hard for people to evaluate how well guys are doing. Who’s fault is it if things aren’t working? It’s very difficult,” Kromer said. “What happens is if you get drafted really high, everyone’s going to talk about how great you are. Until you extremely fail. You can be just average, but still be viewed as great because you got drafted high.
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“In the case of our two tackles, they were not drafted high.”
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Bills offensive tackles Dion Dawkins, left, and Spencer Brown, second from left, jump into the stands after a victory over the New York Jets at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park in 2022.
Dawkins was the second-to-last pick of the second round, 63rd overall, in 2017. Right tackle Spencer Brown was the third-to-last pick of the third round, 93rd overall, in 2021. Kromer believes there’s still a stigma around that.
“So, they need to earn their stripes and get to the point where people are talking about them,” Kromer said. “Then for guys like that at the end of their career, they get a little bit of credit. I know Dion has been making Pro Bowls, but he has been really good. He is really athletic.”
Dawkins and Brown, the Bills’ two starting tackles, are gearing up for another season together. Brown missed some drills during OTAs and minicamp with swing tackle Ryan Van Demark filling in.
Van Demark’s big-picture goal is to be that swing tackle for the Bills, but to accomplish that, he hones in on tiny details in every practice.
Returnees: Dion Dawkins, Spencer Brown, Ryan Van Demark, Richard Gouraige, Tommy Doyle (on physically unable to perform list).
Newcomers: La’el Collins, Tylan Grable, Travis Clayton.
Departures: Germain Ifedi.
Key number: 112. That’s how many games Dawkins has played for the Bills. He is now the longest-tenured Bills’ player on offense, and trails only long snapper Reid Ferguson for total time with the team. His leadership already more than proven, Dawkins will be key in welcoming in new players to the team from any position group.
Top battle: The biggest fight is on the tail end of the roster: Who can simply make the team? Clayton is the most intriguing, with the least football experience. He hails from the International Players Pathway, and has a long resume when it comes to other sports. It remains to be seen if that will translate to the NFL, particularly to the offensive line.
What to expect: Dawkins and Brown are set, as long as Brown can stay healthy. Van Demark has just about cemented his swing spot. The rest of the group is making a roster push for depth.