The Steelers addressed their needs on the offensive line with their second pick, taking Louisiana guard Kevin Dotson with the No. 135 overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft on Saturday.
Dotson weighs in at 310 pounds on his 6-foot-4 frame, and was the first player selected in the draft that was not invited to the 2020 NFL Combine. Dotson was ranked No. 117 on Steelers Now’s Top 300 draft board.
But the Steelers still liked the small-school Dotson, who played in the Sun Belt Conference at Louisiana.
The Steelers have significant needs on the interior of their offensive line. They lost starting left guard Ramon Foster to retirement and top interior backup B.J. Finney to free agency. They did sign free agent Stefen Wisniewski to partially offset the loss.
In addition, Steelers starting center Maurkice Pouncey is entering his 12th season and three of the team’s top four tackles are set to enter free agency after 2020: Zach Banner, Matt Feiler and Alejandro Villanueva.
Dotson was the Steelers’ second fourth-round draft pick, following Maryland running back Anthony McFarland, Jr. The pick, originally belonging to the Tennessee Titans, was traded to the Steelers by the Miami Dolphins as part of the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade.