Pittsburgh Steelers offensive guards David DeCastro and Kevin Dotson have both been ranked among Pro Football Focus’ best at the position rankings entering the 2021 season.
DeCastro checks in at No. 15 in the rankings, and while he no longer is one of the elite guards in all of football, PFF believes he is still very good on the cusp of his tenth year.
“DeCastro is still a very good player, but at his best, he was arguably the best right guard in football, and that is no longer the case without a reversal in the direction his play has been trending,” PFF’s Sam Monson wrote. “DeCastro now has seven straight seasons with a PFF pass-blocking grade of at least 80.0, and he has surrendered just two sacks in four years, including the playoffs.”
DeCastro dealt with nagging knee and abdominal injuries much of last season. He should continue his strong play upon returning to full health in 2021.
He has been selected to six straight Pro Bowls and named First-Team All-Pro twice over his career.
As for Dotson, he is ranked as the 29th-best offensive guard entering this coming season.
“The biggest projection on the list outside of rookies, Dotson has just 358 snaps of NFL action under his belt. In those snaps, he earned a pass-blocking grade above 87.2, allowing just one hurry,” Monson writes.
While just a rookie, Dotson was a beast in the run game and steady in pass protection a year ago. He earned a nod on PFF’s All-Rookie offensive line for his efforts.
Indianapolis Colts guard Quentin Nelson was honored as the top guard in the NFL.
The rival Cleveland Browns had a pair of selections in the top ten in Joel Bitonio (No. 4) and Wyatt Teller (No. 9). New Baltimore Ravens guard Kevin Zeitler was ranked just ahead of DeCastro at No. 14.