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Kevin Dotson 2020 NFL Draft Profile

In a draft where many small school prospects have starting-caliber potential, Louisiana's Kevin Dotson headlines the top of the class.

Overview

Position: Offensive Guard

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 321 pounds

School: Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns

Kevin Dotson 2020 NFL Draft Profile

In a draft where many small school prospects have starting-caliber potential, Louisiana’s Kevin Dotson headlines the top of the class. Dotson has a history with the NFL as his uncles Alvin McKinley and Dennis McKinley played in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals. At Plaquemine High School, Dotson played under Paul Distefano and helped lead the Green Devils to a 13-2 record and a berth in the Class 4A state semifinals. He was rated as the number four guard in the state of Louisiana by Rivals.com and was a three-time all-district selection. Dotson was voted to the Class 4A All-State team. He committed to Louisiana as a senior.

Dotson didn’t play as a freshman at Louisiana, opting for a red-shirt and scout team duties. As a sophomore, he earned the starting job at right guard in Week 2 and started the rest of the year. This led to him being named to the Sun Belt Conference All-Newcomer Team. As a junior, Dotson was named Second-Team All-Sun Belt Conference. He was part of a line that finished third in the conference in rushing. In 2018, he was an All-Sun Belt First Team selection. His biggest accomplishment was blocking for three 700+ yard rushers.

In his senior year, he received a First Team All-American. The honor came from the Associated Press, USA Today, Sports Illustrated and Pro Football Focus. He earned Second Team All-American honors from Sporting News. He led a ground attack which finished the year ranked third nationally in yards per carry (6.28), fourth nationally in rushing touchdowns (42), sixth nationally in rushing yards per game (257.4) and seventh nationally in total rushing yards (3,604). Dotson was part of the Outland Trophy preseason watch list. He closed out his Louisiana career by participating in the East-West Shrine Bowl.

Strengths

excellent in run blocking;
maximizes his strength;
reliable;
absorbs contact at a high level;
great leadership;
exhibits balance at a consistent level.

Weaknesses

struggles in pass blocking;
only suited for a guard position;
didn’t face high competition;
sloppy footwork;
body control is lacking at times;
A below-average range.

NFL Comparison: Quinton Spain

Teams With Need at Position: Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans

Projection: Late fifth to early sixth round

Bottom Line

Kevin Dotson is a classic prospect that is overlooked due to lack of competition. Although he played in a system where his strengths shined, his weaknesses were also glaringly apparent. His strength in the run game makes him the perfect prospect for a run-heavy offense. A zone-run scheme will allow him to use his body to open up running lanes with ease. His reliability is also a plus and with no red flags, his football character will allow teams to take a no-risk flier.

His pass-protection technique, however, is severely lacking. Some will attribute it to a run-heavy offense, but Louisiana did not run on every single play of the season. His footwork will also need fixing as slow movement against fast pass rushers spells disaster for a quarterback or a running back. Dotson will also need to fix his body control when the pass rusher gets the first step, but he is a coachable prospect who will be a welcome backup and potential starter once he gets to the pros.

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