Neither of the Los Angeles Rams‘ starting interior offensive linemen made the top-10 of ESPN’s annual survey of NFL executives, coaches and scouts. Kevin Dotson and Steve Avila were left off the list, but were included among players “also receiving votes.”
The omission is notable given how the duo was ranked by Sports Illustrated. Both had sensational seasons in their own right, too. Dotson, the right guard, finished with an 86.4 overall Pro Football Focus grade, third-best among 81 qualified guards, while playing 885 offensive snaps. His run-blocking was a strength, and the Rams’ offense visibly missed him when a Week 16 ankle injury sidelined him for three-plus games — Los Angeles averaged 4.8 yards per carry with Dotson on the field compared to 4.0 without him. He was also elite at the end of games.
Avila, working at left guard, posted a career-high 76.8 overall PFF grade, ninth among qualified guards, to go with a 74.1 run-blocking grade that ranked 11th at the position. He allowed 14 total pressures on the season — including one sack and five quarterback hits — while being flagged for just one penalty across 835 snaps, marking his most efficient pass-blocking season since entering the league as a 2023 second-round pick out of TCU.
Together, Dotson and Avila give the Rams one of the more productive if unheralded guard tandems in the league, even without a top-10 nod from evaluators. Both are entering the final years of their respective contracts in 2026, setting up a significant offseason decision for Los Angeles.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams have two of the NFL’s best guards, but an ESPN survey disagrees
