He played college football at Oregon and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the third round of the 2010 NFL draft.

Dickson led his team in receiving yards and quarterback sacks during his senior season, and by his performance he was named Southeast-South Coast Lineman of the-Year by the Los Angeles Times.

[3] In 2009, Dickson was selected to the preseason watch list for the Mackey Award, given out to the nation's best tight end.

[4] On September 27, 2009, Dickson was named the national player of the week by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.

He earned the honors after catching 11 passes for 148 yards and three touchdowns in an upset of the #6 California Golden Bears.

During the Ravens Super Bowl championship season in 2012, Dickson saw his role in the passing game decrease in favor of Pitta, though he often found himself on blocking duty.

[16] On October 8, 2017, Dickson posted an impressive performance with 175 receiving yards as the Panthers won 27-24 over the Detroit Lions.

On March 16, 2018, Dickson signed a three-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks worth up to $14 million, with the first year fully guaranteed.