Dion Dawkins, Bills Pleased With Joint Practice Work

The Pittsburgh Steelers offer unique looks for teams on their schedule during the preseason.

With a former defensive player of the year in T.J. Watt, and a Pro-Bowl talent in Alex Highsmith, the Steelers offer two top edge defenders who can make life difficult for any tackle.

That's perfectly fine for Buffalo Bills Pro-Bowl tackle Dion Dawkins. The outspoken tackle has been one of the more consistent players on Buffalo's roster, and understands why joint practice with the Steelers could help the offensive line as a whole.

"I loved it," Dawkins said. "The best part about practicing in a joint practice is you get to sharpen your pass pro skills against players you would normally have to be your best against without even practicing…it's a beautiful feeling to be able to test your skillset against opponents that you could play and not have it count like you're in a game."

Buffalo's offensive line gave up eight sacks in their preseason-opening loss to the Chicago Bears last week. Going up against the Steelers of all teams certainly isn't easy either.

Related: Bills' Over/Under 2024 Win Projection Revealed

It's why practicing against them in joint work is important for the entire Bills line.

As they look to put last week behind them, putting forth a strong showing in joint practices is very important for the entire group. And Dawkins is the leader of that belief in the clubhouse.