The Los Angeles Rams did not pay a lot to acquire Kevin Dotson last summer. They moved down a round in each of the next two drafts, going from the fourth to the fifth in 2024 and fifth to the sixth in 2025.
They are paying a high price to keep Dotson, however.
On Thursday, the Rams and Dotson agreed to a three-year extension worth $48 million. It includes $32 million guaranteed. At $16 million per year, Dotson will be the eighth-highest paid guard in the NFL, tied with Joel Bitonio and Joe Thuney. Chris Lindstrom leads the market at $20.5 million.
What makes signing Dotson to such a large contract somewhat risky is the fact that he’s truly only had one great season in the NFL, and it was last season. He was never one of the better guards with the Steelers, finishing with an overall grade between 64.5 and 66.2 in each of his first three seasons, according to Pro Football Focus.
With the Rams last year, his grade spiked to 85.2 despite his pass-blocking grade sinking to a career-worst 68.3. He improved dramatically as a run blocker, leading all guards with a grade of 88.8 in that department, which helped him finish with the second-best overall grade of any player at his position.
Despite the risk of paying for one standout season, it was worth it for the Rams. Dotson completely transformed the offensive line when he stepped in as the starter in Week 4, replacing Joe Noteboom. He was physical in the run game and effective in the passing game, allowing more than two pressures in only one game all year (Week 14 vs. Baltimore).
Rams OG Kevin Dotson is a guy a lot of teams should be looking at in free agency, especially as a run-blocker… because when he gets on the track, the train is definitely rolling. pic.twitter.com/1mrjjMBS5Y
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 7, 2024
The Rams deployed more of a gap scheme in the running game, which fit Dotson perfectly. He was athletic enough to pull and he often held his blocks long enough to create big running lanes for Kyren Williams. That’s not something Noteboom did enough in his brief time as a guard, but Dotson excelled in the Rams’ scheme.
With Dotson and Steve Avila locked in for the next three years, the Rams have two anchors along their offensive line. They can help mask any potential struggles at center, and whether the Rams want to run inside or out, they’re both big and athletic enough to move defenders and create big holes.
Signing Dotson before free agency was the smart thing to do, even if it was expensive.