The Buffalo Bills have been blessed with phenomenal quarterback play from Josh Allen for many years, both when he's had great weapons around him and as well as when he didn't. He is in a tier that features other quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow, but he is by far the best one out of all of them going into this season.
Even though he has been one of the best, part of the reason why is because of the protection that he has had in front of him. While the beginning of his career featured shaky protection, one consistent player that has been protecting his blindside is left tackle, Dion Dawkins.
Since being drafted by the Bills in 2017, Dawkins has been on the field and one of the most reliable players in the entire league. He doesn't miss a lot of games, and he's been one of the better left tackles in the game.
While Dawkins has had his tough moments in the NFL, he has been protecting Allen for many years and has played a big role in helping him become one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Heading into this season, Dawkins finally gets his recognition that he deserves.
Dion Dawkins lands on NFL Top 100 list heading into 2026
The NFL has been rolling out an NFL Top 100 list of all the Top 100 players heading into the season, and Dawkins was picked as the No. 57th overall best player going into the season.
Shnow doubt about it. ❄️@NFL | @DDawkins66 pic.twitter.com/paQLdPhR0C
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) July 21, 2026
Seeing Dawkins getting this recognition is great, considering the fact that in a recent offensive tackle rankings that was put together by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, per various executives, coaches, and scouts, Dawkins wasn’t placed in the Top 10…he was only listed as an honorable mention.
In addition to Dawkins being one of the best pass protectors in the league, he has also been a part of a unit that has helped James Cook lead the league in rushing touchdowns and rushing yards the last two seasons.
Dawkins is the first Bill to make this list, and there should be more coming for sure, especially when you think about players like James Cook and Josh Allen. It’s just a matter of where they land, not if they land on the list. Heck, when it comes to Allen, there is no way that he should be outside of the Top 5.
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