Through four games of their 2020 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have two rookies to be proud of. Of course, Chase Claypool will get the attention, as the wide receiver has already totaled five touchdowns. But don’t overlook Kevin Dotson. The fourth-round draft pick has been called upon several times to fill in at right guard, and he has answered the call. It’s never a good thing to see an All-Pro like David DeCastro miss time with various injuries. Dotson has eased those concerns. He has played extremely well both against the run and in pass protection. It’s early, but Dotson is already looking like a major draft steal.
Kevin Dotson Is a Draft Steal for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Performing Well in Limited Opportunities
Dotson’s rookie year kicked off right away in Week 1 when he replaced DeCastro late in Pittsburgh’s game with the New York Giants. In just six snaps in that game, Doston made an impressive block when pulling for a counter run. Coming out of college, it was no secret that Dotson was very solid against the run. He’s a good athlete and punishes defenders when he gets in space, either on rushing attempts or on screen passes. It was a shock to see a player of Dotson’s caliber not get invited to the Combine, but that might be what allowed him to drop to Pittsburgh in the fourth round of the draft.
When DeCastro wasn’t able to play in Week 2 against the Denver Broncos, Dotson stepped up again. It was one of those games where it seemed like you didn’t hear Dotson’s name called, which is usually good for an offensive lineman. According to Pro Football Focus, Dotson didn’t allow a single pressure on 43 dropbacks in that game with Denver. We knew that Dotson is solid against the run, so to see him perform so well in the passing game was a huge sign of his dependability moving forward.
DeCastro once again got injured in Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Dotson was inserted into the right guard position. This time, he’d be going up against one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. And once again, he was up for the challenge. Three plays from the game really stood up. The first was a run block rep in which he pancaked Fletcher Cox, one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL. Another was when Dotson got out in space and threw a huge block on a screen pass, showing off his athleticism. Finally, there was a pass protection rep where Dotson had Cox one-on-one and handled him with no problems.
What’s Next for Kevin Dotson?
Looking ahead, Dotson will be the starter at right guard if DeCastro has to miss more time with his abdomen injury. If DeCastro is healthy, some fans will be advocating for Dotson to slide over and start at left guard. Matt Feiler hasn’t been bad at left guard this year, but he hasn’t been very good either. A betting man would probably say don’t expect Dotson to replace Feiler at left guard. He was strictly a right guard in college and that’s all he’s played so far in the pros. It might not be an easy transition for him to move to the opposite side if he hasn’t worked there much. That being said, next year could be a different story. If Dotson continues playing this well, he’ll need to be in the starting lineup somehow. With a full off-season to make the switch, Kevin Dotson absolutely could be the Steelers starting left guard in 2021.
