Dion Dawkins – OT
The Vikings offensive line is leaps and bounds better than it was a season ago. They’ve added a few pieces and shuffled some guys around and so far in the preseason, the results have been encouraging.
If there is a weak link on this offensive line it’s at the offensive tackle position. The Vikings are extremely thin here with only about four players with any sort of NFL experience. Also, Riley Reiff‘s play is starting to decline. He’s still an above-average NFL left tackle but is 30-years-old and is coming off a couple of rough preseason outings.
The Bills just happen to have a young guy who is really starting to come into his own and would be a welcomed addition to this revamped offensive line. That guy is Dion Dawkins.
Dawkins is only 25-years-old, but he has already started 27 games in the league. He moves well for a man who is 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds. That overall athletic ability is the biggest thing that sticks out when watching Dawkins. He is out of his stance in a hurry and slides well from left to right. He also occasionally goes out on a pass and has good hands for a big old boy.
Dawkins would supplant Reiff at left tackle. He’d be an upgrade and would give the Vikings one of the younger offensive lines in the league. Reiff would move to a backup which would vastly improve the depth of this unit. The Vikings coaching staff could rest easy if an injury were to occur with both Rashod Hill and Reiff as backups.