Steelers Rookie Grades: Dotson, not Claypool, atop the class

Kevin Dotson

Grade: A

Despite only having a “B” on this list from the midseason mark, Kevin Dotson has officially become the highest-rated rookie in this class. His biggest downside was his limited playing time early in the season, but he finished the season strong, starting 2.5 of the final three games. He has looked anything like a rookie guard as well, considering he didn’t allow a single sack all season.

Frankly, it was puzzling when the Steelers decided to reinsert Matt Feiler as the starter over Dotson for the wildcard game against Cleveland. Dotson was arguably the Steelers’ best lineman, so taking him out of the lineup was a bad move. Despite that minor setback, Dotson was the most consistent and talented player out of this class so far. Anytime he took the field, his top level of play was apparent.

Moving forward, Dotson should be penciled in as the starter. He showed more than enough in his rookie year to warrant the promotion. Assuming he develops as planned, he should be the Steelers starter for the next handful of years as the team prepares to move on from a lot of this aging offense. Having a constant like Dotson will be helpful, and the fact that the team landed him in the fourth round was huge. He played like the best player in this class for the Steelers, and his grade reflects it.