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Dion Dawkins - Offensive Guard - Temple Owls
HEIGHT: 6’4”
WEIGHT: 314
ARM LENGTH: 35”
HANDS: 9 7/8”
PROJECTION: 2ND ROUND
40 YD DASH (NFL Combine): 5.11 seconds
BENCH PRESS (NFL Combine): 26
VERTICAL (NFL Combine): 26”
BROAD JUMP (NFL Combine): 106”
3 CONE DRILL (NFL Combine): 7.30 seconds
20 YD SHUTTLE (NFL Combine): 4.78 seconds
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ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS: Dawkins has tremendous strength, and has shown the ability to control defenders even without using much leverage. When he gets to the second level, that player is essentially wiped out. Even against Power 5 competition (Notre Dame and Penn State), Dawkins has shown that he can dominate his matchup. He has good pre-snap vision to anticipate blitzes and communicate to other lineman. Usually does one kick step and multiple unorthodox shuffle steps to keep a wide base and prevent a pass rush.
WEAKNESSES: Inconsistent pad level. Dawkins mostly relies on his strength to get by, and it showed against Penn State. He can be good when he chooses to use good technique, but he got too used to playing inferior opponents which formed bad habits. While his base is good, he tends to grab on the pass rush instead of punching, which will lead to future penalties. His grabbing tends to negate his long reach, allowing the defender to get him off balance and maneuver around him. Getting to the second level doesn’t guarantee anything, as his angles tend to be poor with quicker players going around him or beating him to a spot.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Dawkins has plenty of raw ability to become a good professional player. He will need to be more consistent with pad level against NFL talent, or he will see a lot of the bench or get cut. His speed and explosiveness at the combine surprised me, and that should only help his draft stock. He played tackle at Temple, but his talents translate to a NFL guard. His raw talent is enticing, and is definitely worth a second-round pick. If he can continue to improve and work on his craft, he can become an extremely good player at the next level.