The Buffalo Bills’ superstar blindside protector, Dion Dawkins, has developed into one of the league’s top offensive tackles throughout his eight-year NFL career. Dawkins is currently the 9th-highest-paid left tackle and has made it to four consecutive Pro Bowls. He is coming off a great 2024 campaign of protecting the blindside of the MVP, Josh Allen, giving up 22 pressures, four QB hits, and three sacks allowed in 16 regular-season starts.
The Buffalo Bills superstar wants NFL to implement a new award
Other than being named to the Pro Bowl and an All-Pro team, offensive linemen do not have any unique awards rewarding them for their hard work and contributions in the way that College Football does. In CFB, they have three unique awards given to offensive linemen, including the Outland Trophy, which recognizes the best offensive/defensive lineman; the Joe Moore Award, which recognizes the best offensive line unit; and the Rimington Trophy, which recognizes the best center. Dion Dawkins has been one of the few proponents of adding an award for the best offensive lineman in the NFL.
“Offensive linemen don’t have awards for being great,” Dawkins said, via Kevin Patra of NFL.com in January. “There’s not a Protector of the Year award. I’m knocking at so many doors now to get this award going. I’m gonna spearhead it and make sure it gets done before I’m done playing. Because there’s so many greats. There’s so many greats. We have great quarterbacks, we have great running backs, we have rushing titles, we have quarterback passing titles. All those titles are reflections on the O-linemen, which are the protectors.”
The NFL announced a new award
During the NFL Owners Meeting in Eagan, Minnesota, Executive Vice President Troy Vincent announced the addition of the “Protector of the Year Award.” This award will recognize the best offensive lineman for any given year, and six former offensive line greats will vote based on five unique criteria. Greats like Jason Kelce, Orlando Pace, Will Shields, Andrew Whitworth, Shaun O’Hara, and LeCharles Bentley will vote based on skill metrics, impact, leadership, durability, and strength of opponent, as explained in this link.
Buffalo Bills superstar reacts to new award
Following the implementation of the new award, Dion Dawkins reacted to the news with two X posts. In both of his posts, Dawkins thanked those who implemented the “Protector of the Year Award.” Here’s what the superstar left tackle had to say about the subject matter:
Protector of the Year is Official Thank you we got it done ❄️❄️❄️ @NFL
— Dion Dawkins (@DDawkins66) May 21, 2025
History was made today. Something that starting with an Idea and a Conversation and Now the “Protector Of The Year” Award is Here and Here to Stay. Thank you to Everyone involved. Today WE made History #YouAlreadyShnow #ProtectorOfTheYear #history pic.twitter.com/qzYl7rY8xZ
— Dion Dawkins (@DDawkins66) May 21, 2025
