From the moment the Philadelphia Eagles selected Landon Dickerson in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, he was destined for greatness as the next top offensive lineman. That has come true, but is there a flaw in his game?
ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler shared the rankings of the top interior offensive linemen in the league, as surveyed by NFL coaches, executives, and scouts. Dickerson found himself at number five, but Fowler brought up some interesting stats that show he might have a weakness in his game.
"Dickerson wasted little time establishing himself along Philadelphia's vaunted line, earning a Pro Bowl nod in each of the past three seasons.
'Explosive power -- holy smokes,' a veteran NFL offensive line coach said. 'Strength, durability. He's built to last. The organized mass he can help create is top-notch.'
Evaluators saw premier status for him entering 2024, which largely proved true since Dickerson helped lead Philadelphia to a championship.
But one oddity accompanied his profile -- ESPN stats attributed 11 sacks to Dickerson, the most of any player in our top 10. An Eagles source was surprised to hear that number, adding Dickerson was at no point a liability in the pass game. Further research shows Dickerson struggled early with six sacks allowed in the first seven weeks but picked it up late, averaging an impressive 97 pass block win rate from Week 8 through the Super Bowl.Ad Feedback
Dickerson was dealing with a knee issue during the championship run. He played through it.
'He was banged up some, and it looked like he played a bit heavier [in 2024],' an NFL coordinator said. 'He played well, but I actually think he'll be even better next year.'"
Is there a bigger problem to Dickerson's play or an overreaction to a truly great player?
Dickerson has produced a great career through just four years, as he has started 62 of the 63 games he's appeared in. He's made the Pro Bowl three consecutive seasons from 2022 through 2024.
Last year's Pro Bowl season saw him appear in all but one game as he missed the final game to rest the starters before the playoffs. Pro Football Focus also had Dickerson ranked fifth among guards in the NFL. He had the 13th-best overall PFF grade of any guard in the NFL with 79.2.
Diving deeper into the pass protection issues Fowler had brought up, PFF had Dickerson surrender five sacks last year, which was ranked 117th out of 136 guards. His pass-blocking grade, though, was ranked 26th with a 73.6.
The data shows that Dickerson isn't perfect in pass protection, but the eye test tells a different story. He's been able to hold up his own at guard, and people within the NFL know how dominant he can be on the field. Dickerson has been asked to pull to the outside so many times that it has helped running back Saquon Barkley break out big runs last year.
Philly doesn't have to be concerned with Dickerson. He's one of the best guards in the NFL, and that isn't a secret.
