Kevin Dotson was switched to left guard last year after Trai Turner arrived in Pittsburgh as a free agent. Kendrick Green has moved back to guard after starting at center last season following Maurkice Pouncey’s retirement.
That leaves one job for two players who started a combined 24 games last season.
Green and Dotson will compete for the left guard job.
“We added a few more people, and there’s definitely going to be a competition between me and K.G.,” Dotson said, via Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “It’s all a competition and competition brings the best out of people.”
Mason Cole is slated to start at center, with J.C. Hassenauer as the backup. James Daniels is atop the depth chart at right guard. The Steelers gave Cole and Daniels a combined $41 million in free agency.
Dotson played right guard for five seasons in college and his first season with the Steelers. He battled a major ankle injury last season but ended up starting nine games at left guard and is more comfortable on the left side now than he was last season.
“I worked on being on the left side during the offseason,” Dotson said. “I wasn’t comfortable all last year. I’m way more comfortable now. You kind of have to switch your brain. Muscles I wasn’t using on the left side, when I switched, I legit started getting cramps on my left side because my body didn’t feel right.”