Just to twist the knife one more time (until he signs his major free agency contract, that is), Kevin Dotson had his best year in the NFL this season, months after being traded by the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Los Angeles Rams. But it wasn’t only a good year by his standards. According to PFF, he was one of the best linemen in football, graded out as the league’s second-best guard and its top-rated run blocker.
With final regular season numbers tallied, Dotson finished 2023 with an 85.2 overall grade, second in the NFL of any guard who blocked on at least half his team’s snaps this season. As a run blocker, he was even better, ranked first ahead of Quinn Meinerz (who was the NFL’s top overall guard ahead of Dotson).
Of all offensive linemen, Dotson was PFF’s fifth-highest player. He chopped down his penalties, a recurring issue during his time as a Steeler, committing just two of them this year. Stepping back, here is Dotson’s year-by-year overall PFF rank from 2020 to 2023.
2020 – 29th
2021 – 51st
2022 – 25th
2023 – 2nd
That data highlighted our take on Dotson. Far from a terrible player, he had plenty of talent. He just needed the right scheme fit and system that allowed him to thrive. The Rams moved Dotson back to right guard and simplified the scheme, allowing him to play freer and to his talent than having paralysis of the analysis.
The combination of those changes will prove to be lucrative. Very lucrative. As outlined by a former NFL agent last week, Dotson could make upwards of $13 million per year in free agency, becoming a top-ten paid guard in the NFL. Whatever he ends up cashing in on, he’ll have the Rams to thank, not the Steelers. All Pittsburgh’s getting in return are future Day Three pick swaps per the terms of their trade. Even if the Rams can’t bring him back, they’ll receive top compensation pick value for the 2025 NFL Draft.
Relitigating everything about Dotson and his time in Pittsburgh probably isn’t worth it. The Steelers at least found Isaac Seumalo, who didn’t grade out quite as well but still finished as the league’s 11th-best guard. The issue with Pittsburgh’s line doesn’t rest with their guards. They need a tackle and a center. But Dotson proved that draft picks can be missed for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, the player just isn’t as talented as they seemed, often an issue with smaller-school players. Sometimes, injuries doom a player.
And sometimes, it’s an organizational issue, either a byproduct of coaching or schematic changes that don’t maximize a player’s ability. That was clearly an issue with Dotson, as Pittsburgh can only watch him flourish from afar.
