Every NFL team hopes to find bargains in the later rounds of the draft, especially at key positions. If your favorite team is looking for that kind of player along the offensive line, Louisiana’s Kevin Dotson should be on their radar.
Dotson recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about his unique trash-talking methods, his chemistry with fellow 2020 draft hopeful Robert Hunt, and what kind of impact he’ll have at the next level.
JM: You’re such an experienced offensive linemen. You were one of the leaders of a strong unit. How does that experience serve you well going forward?
KD: I think it levels the playing field for me a little bit. I’m going through this process as a prospect and I think people realize that I’m a smart player. It puts me on level ground with some of those prospects that went to a bigger school than I did. I might be smarter some of the guys they’re looking at. Being from a smaller school, I think my experience levels the playing field a little bit.
JM: What do you enjoy about playing on the offensive line?
KD: When you’re a football player, you’re already a part of a brotherhood, but there’s no bond greater than the one of an offensive line. I get to beat people up alongside my brothers (laughs). I’ve been so close with those guys for such a long time. We know what we’re capable of. We understand the combinations that we work together. We know what we’ve done in the past and it’s fun to have that camaraderie with one another. We’ve been together for about 4-5 years now. We’re excellent communicators. We can still joke around with one another during a game because we’re that confident in our abilities. The brotherhood of the offensive line is tighter than any other position group on the team. I can guarantee you that.
JM: How do you handle speed differently from power?
KD: When I know somebody is more of a speed rusher, I just have to be more of a perfectionist with my pass set. I have to be able to kinda predict where he’s going. I have to my technique in order. Hand placement is very important with a speed guy. I have to think about it a little more. If I know somebody is a power guy, I’m not an offensive linemen that you can bull rush. I’m just not. I’m very strong. When I know somebody is a speed rusher, I key in a little more on their moves. I can’t make as many mistakes with a speed guy.
JM: You’ve played both tackle and guard. What position do you think you’ll play at the next level?
KD: I’ll play on the interior of the offensive line. That seems to be the feedback I’m getting. I played right guard mostly. I played a little right tackle during my red-shirt freshmen year but the majority of my experience has been at right guard.
JM: You formed such a dominant duo with Robert Hunt. What can you tell me about the chemistry that you formed with him, and the bond that you two created?
KD: Robert and I have been roommates since our first day of college. We’ve always had that bond. We’ve been talking about our dreams since the first practice we ever had together. We knew what we were capable of. We just had to stay patient. Everything that is happening now for the both of us, we’ve talked about it for years. We’re so glad to see it happen. I just spoke to him the other day. Everything is starting to come together for us. We’ve had that type of bond for a long time now.
He’s probably one of the only people in my life that I’ve never even had an argument with. We just see eye-to-eye on a lot of stuff. We’ve been close since day one. It translates over to the football field. That’s easy. I can look at him and tell him what he did wrong and vice versa, no hard feelings. We’re always giving each other pointers on how to improve. We listen to each other. We never got defensive or anything like that.
We’ve always wanted the best for one another. I’ve enjoyed having him as my right tackle. What a process it’s been. Our relationship off the field made our bond on the field so easy.
JM: Is there a scheme that you prefer to play in at the next level?
KD: Not really. I feel like I’m very versatile. I like the power schemes. I love being able to block down on people. This year, we pretty much ran inside and outside zone exclusively. I like doing that a lot. I just don’t wanna be pigeonholed at the end of the day. I don’t want people to look at me and say oh, he’s a strong guy, we have to put him in a power scheme. We ran inside zone most of the time. I just don’t wanna be pigeonholed.
JM: What’s your favorite way to demoralize your opponent?
KD: When he knows what’s coming but can’t do anything to stop it, that’s the best feeling. That can really kill his entire mood for the rest of the game. If I know for a fact that this guy can’t beat me, I’ll tell him what the next play is. If I tell him what’s coming and he still can’t do anything about it, that’s the type of stuff that breaks your will. We’ve had games like that before. In a game that we won by a large margin, I’ve been able to tell the defensive linemen in front of me that I know you can’t stop it. We’re about to run inside zone to the right. It still goes for 20 yards a pop. That’s something that can really kill them.
JM: Have you actually done that before? That’s how you trash talk?
KD: Oh yeah, you better believe it.
JM: Do you have a preferred pass set, or do you switch it up throughout the course of a game?
KD: I try to switch it up. I don’t wanna become predictable. I don’t want him knowing what’s coming next. If I had to rely on something, it would probably be a quick set. That allows me to stop him as quickly as possible. That lets me stone him at the line.
JM: You weren’t invited to the NFL Scouting Combine. What does that do to your motivation?
KD: I had to think about it a little bit when I first got the news. After a while, I came to peace with it. I know that my pro day is gonna be a busy one. I’m not really worried about it. There are a lot of people that go to the combine that don’t get drafted. The combine is not the end all, be all. People blow it out of proportion. It’s not a necessity at the end of the day. Not getting chosen for it definitely puts a big chip on my shoulder though. Are they trying to say that I’m not good enough? It helps me either way.
JM: When is your Pro Day?
KD: April 1st.
JM: Do you plan on taking any private visits before that?
KD: Not before, but I already have a lot of them scheduled for after my Pro Day.
JM: Who are some of the teams that you’re visiting with?
KD: I have private visits set up with the Saints, Seahawks, Chargers, Vikings and the Steelers. Those are the teams that have been calling me as of late. I’ll be making private visits to all of them.
JM: If you could block for one NFL quarterback, who would it be and why?
KD: I don’t really have a preference. I enjoy blocking for a smart quarterback that makes good decisions. I like a quarterback that gets the ball out on time; one that doesn’t ask me to block for 10 or more seconds (laughs). I actually prefer to block for a pocket quarterback. Blocking for those mobile quarterbacks can be tough. You don’t know where they are at any given moment. It’s tough to read them sometimes. I like somebody that sits in the pocket and throws the ball. I enjoy blocking for a good, smart quarterback.
JM: What kind of impact is Kevin Dotson going to make at the next level?
KD: I’m gonna be a well known guard at the next level. I’m gonna make a name for myself. A lot of people don’t really know any offensive linemen. It’s a position that doesn’t come with any shine. I wanna be a name brand. I want people to say that Kevin Dotson is playing great football.
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