Buffalo Bills: 4 players with the most to prove on offense in 2018

Dion Dawkins

Dion Dawkins enters this season as the starting left tackle now that Cordy Glenn is in Cincinnati. That doesn’t mean fans are sold on him being the guy for the next five years.

Dawkins was drafted by the Bills in 2017 in the second round, giving the team some great value out of that slot. He ended up starting 11 games as a rookie.

But now that Dawkins enters the season as the starter there will be more pressure on him to succeed. There is also the fact the line is without Richie Incognito and Eric Wood in 2018. This doesn’t mean teams will load up on Dawkins’ side of the line, but he will now be looked at as the anchor of the group.

The entire offensive line showed up as the No. 7 overall group in the NFL last season according to Pro Football Focus, with Dawkins showing up as one of the better left tackles in the league once he became the regular starter.

There will also be some added pressure on Dawkins due to the inexperience at the quarterback position on this roster. The timing in the pocket may not be up to speed right away, meaning Dawkins may have to hold off defenders just that much longer to avoid seeing his quarterback on the ground. If he can do that and be elite, Dawkins will be an important member of the Bills for a long time.