Kevin Dotson has already produced like one of the NFL’s best guards.
The Pro Bowl recognition has yet to follow.
Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr named the Los Angeles Rams right guard among eight players who could earn their first Pro Bowl selection in 2026.
The prediction emphasizes what we’ve seen under Sean McVay: Rams offensive linemen may not receive individual recognition, even while powering some of the league’s most productive offenses.
Andrew Whitworth remains the only Los Angeles Rams offensive lineman to make the Pro Bowl during McVay’s tenure. He earned the honor in 2017, McVay’s first season as head coach.
Dotson now can end the drought after producing one of the strongest seasons of his career.
Dotson Has Already Delivered Pro Bowl-Level Production
The Rams acquired Dotson from the Pittsburgh Steelers before the 2023 season, giving up a pair of late-round draft-pick swaps.
He quickly became one of the offense’s most dependable players. Los Angeles rewarded him in 2024 with a three-year, $48 million contract that included $32 million guaranteed.
The investment has held up well.
Pro Football Focus gave Dotson an 86.4 overall grade in 2025, third among 81 qualified guards. His 89.3 run-blocking grade also ranked third at the position. He allowed 20 pressures and three sacks across 885 offensive snaps while drawing only two penalties.
Those numbers give him a stronger case, certainly, than his lack of previous honors.
Dotson has spent three seasons creating movement in the running game and giving the Rams stability at right guard, but Orr pointed to the crowded NFC field as one obstacle.
Chris Lindstrom and Tyler Smith have established themselves as recognizable names at guard, and the Rams have struggled to break through that voting pattern.
McVay’s scheme also creates a familiar debate over how much credit belongs to the system and how much belongs to the blockers executing it.
Dotson’s production makes the answer increasingly arduous to dismiss.
Rams Offense Showed Dotson’s Value After Injury
Dotson’s absence late last season offered another tip-of-the-cap to his importance.
He suffered an ankle sprain during the first quarter of the Rams’ Week 16 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He missed the final two regular-season games and was ruled out for the wild-card matchup against the Carolina Panthers.
Sports Illustrated noted that Los Angeles entered that closing stretch ranked first in the NFL in EPA per play and rushing EPA. With Dotson hurt, the Rams fell to 16th in EPA per rush.
One injured guard does not explain an entire offensive decline.
But the split still showed how much the running game depended on his power and consistency.
Dotson enters 2026 in the final year of his contract, and a first Pro Bowl selection would strengthen his case for another significant deal, whether it comes from the Rams or on the open market.
Los Angeles also has championship expectations, which should keep Dotson in prominent games and give voters more opportunities to notice his work.
The offense needs him healthy after seeing the results when he left the lineup.
Meanwhile, the Pro Bowl prediction does not require a sudden breakout because Dotson has already played at that level.
He just needs the recognition to catch up to reality.
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