Pittsburgh Steelers fans have been hard on the offensive line over the past few years. Since the days of Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro, Alejandro Villanueva, and others, the offensive line has struggled to return to the elite ranks. Under a new coach this past year in Pat Meyer, the group showed some improvement. To start, the main five started all 17 games for the black and gold in 2022.
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As head coach, Mike Tomlin always references, the best trait is availability. You have to be out there consistently for your teammates. That's a step forward for the group as a whole, and their performance wasn't too bad either. Now, fans want them to take that next step forward in 2023 as the offense remains young. That may include getting some reinforcements through either the draft or free agency.
Perhaps the most criticized lineman, and most likely to be replaced, has been Kevin Dotson. Now three years under his wing in the NFL, he has yet to become the dominant bruiser that everyone expected. At times, he makes bone-headed mistakes that cost the team greatly. In a one-on-one interview with Dale Lolley of Steelers.com, Dotson refused the notion from fans that he is a soft player:
"I was just trying to change some people's minds. I've never been known to be that person to miss any time," Dotson said in the interview. "There's a lot of background noise of people thought I was soft. I couldn't finish a season. I had never missed a game until I got to the league. I just wanted to change the perception."
Health was a factor for him in his first two professional seasons, as he missed a total of 11 games. That also came with inconsistent performances when he was healthy, as he started just four games in his rookie year in 2020. Dotson was able to bounce back in 2022, as he was finally able to stay healthy. Like the other four guys on the Steelers' offensive line, he played all 17 games.
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Dotson's performance did still come with some struggles though, as he was tied-for-third in the NFL in penalties (11). His three "ineligible man downfield" penalties were tied for the league lead as well, a penalty that remains a grey area for many. It's something that he still has to work on in his game, as general manager, Omar Khan may very well look to draft and/or sign a left guard this off-season to replace him.
Amongst 78 qualifying offensive guards in 2022, Pro Football Focus ranked Dotson 30th with a 65.4 overall grade. He was actually the 11th-best pass blocking guard with a 77.6 grade there. If he can clean up some of his penalties and mistakes, Dotson could very well take a big step forward in his fourth season in 2023. That would be a big help in restoring the Steelers' offensive line to one of the best in football.
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