Since suffering the first losing season in Sean McVay’s career back in 2022, the Los Angeles Rams have worked tremendously hard to rewrite the narratives surrounding the team. The organization has refused to live in the past, and as a result of their aggressive team-building strategies, they have arguably the best roster in football entering the 2026 season.
One of the reasons for their success has been their consistent play along the offensive line. The unit molded together perfectly, and their production was due to their intelligence, chemistry, communication, and execution. No lineman has defined those terms more over the last few seasons than guard Kevin Dotson.
Since being traded from Pittsburgh, Dotson has become a whole new player, transforming into a dominant interior lineman whose absence became a hurdle that the team often struggled and failed to overcome. Despite dealing with a few injuries, Dotson was as consistent as ever in 2025, and as a result, Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr named Dotson as one of eight players who could make the Pro Bowl for the first time in their career this season. Orr says he also would have considered Alaric Jackson for this list if not for a potential suspension to start the year.
Had he not been facing a potential suspension at the start of the season, I would have considered him a 1A alongside Dotson, who missed some or all of the team’s final three regular-season games.
The Rams came into those games as the best offense in the NFL in terms of EPA per play and in rush EPA. When Dotson was hurt, the Rams were 16th in EPA per rush. He’s not the sole factor but it’s an indication of how critical his presence was. Dotson has a difficult path to the Pro Bowl with the likes of Chris Lindstrom and Tyler Smith within the division, but it’s about time some of McVay’s linemen get the recognition they deserve.
Not only does Dotson account for a massive portion of the team’s overall production due to his ability to dictate the action at the line of scrimmage, but his work also led to Coleman Shelton having one of the best seasons of his career. At the same time, Warren McClendon Jr. broke out, establishing himself as one of the best right tackles in football.
If Dotson were to make the Pro Bowl, he would be only the second offensive lineman under McVay to receive that honor, with Andrew Whitworth being the other, as Orr pointed out.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: NFL analyst names Kevin Dotson among potential first-time Pro Bowlers
Reporting by Brock Vierra, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Brock Vierra, Rams Wire | USA TODAY Network
