One of the last days of NFL normalcy was one of the most important for the future of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Before COVID-19 effectively halted all pre-draft travel this spring, Bengals coach Zac Taylor took a couple of staffers with him to Clemson's pro day.
Wide receiver Tee Higgins was among the Tigers' deep prospect list that included Isaiah Simmons and A.J. Terrell. While there, Taylor spent roughly an hour talking to Clemson coach Dabo Swinney about Higgins.
"He just raved about him [and] the energy he's going to bring to the receiver room," Taylor said.
In April, the Bengals drafted Higgins at the top of the second round, a key piece of their rebuild. When the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Bengals on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox), he'll be one of many rookies on both teams who are already making an immediate impact.
The Bengals' rookie class, of course, is headlined by quarterback Joe Burrow, the first overall pick, and Higgins. As a group, they've played 1,545 snaps -- seventh among rookie classes this season. Without a first-round pick, the Steelers drafted an ensemble group that has played fewer than half the snaps of the Bengals' 2020 class, but the players are carving out roles as meaningful contributors in limited opportunities.
"We've had a lot of guys step up when we needed them, whether it's Chase [Claypool], Alex [Highsmith], Carlos [Davis]," Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward said. "We need those guys because of injuries, but they're becoming a part of our team where it's not just an injury, we've got to get them on the field as well."
In an NFL draft evaluation period unlike any other, both franchises maximized their draft capital to build the future of their organizations. Here's a look at how each team's rookie class is playing significant roles right away.
Steelers
Entering the season with an experienced roster, it's hardly a surprise the Steelers didn't start a rookie in the Sept. 14 opener against the New York Giants.
That changed late in the fourth quarter when the Steelers suffered back-to-back injuries on their offensive line and fourth-round pick Kevin Dotson experienced a baptism by fire.
With no preseason experience, Dotson got his first NFL snap as the Steelers faced third down from the Giants' 8-yard-line. Holding off B.J. Hill, Dotson helped keep quarterback Ben Roethlisberger clean in the pocket and give him time to find JuJu Smith-Schuster in the end zone.
Dotson finished the game with six offensive snaps, and a week later, he was a starter and played 65 snaps against the Denver Broncos.
And Dotson wasn't the only Steelers rookie with a major role in the Week 2 victory. Wide receiver Claypool scored his first touchdown on an 84-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter. Three weeks later, Claypool set a Steelers rookie record with four touchdowns against the Eagles.
"I'm so proud of any of the young players that are still playing a lot of football for us," offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner said in the days after that win over Denver. "You look at 11 [Claypool], 69 [Dotson], these guys, are very young and they are acting older than their experience."
Even without a first-round pick and on-site visits, the Steelers, led by general manager Kevin Colbert, identified and selected six players who were capable of contributing right away, even in limited roles.
With 653 total snaps, Steelers rookies are playing less through the first nine weeks than in recent years, but no Steelers rookie class in the past 10 years has scored more touchdowns in the first nine weeks than the 2020 crew. Claypool is responsible for seven scores, two more than the five touchdowns Martavis Bryant scored through this point of the 2014 season.
Claypool is also getting more opportunities. He's played 330 snaps, far exceeding Bryant's 83 offensive snaps.
With veteran guard David DeCastro mostly healthy, Dotson has started only one more game since Week 2, but the Steelers' rookies are still stepping up. All six members of the Steelers' 2020 draft class have played at least one snap, and all have been active for at least one game -- even safety Antoine Brooks Jr. (sixth round), who missed the cut for the 53-man roster out of training camp but was elevated from the practice squad two weeks ago.
"You get four preseason games and that's where they kind of gain their experience," defensive coordinator Keith Butler said. "We didn't have that this year, so we have kind of had to let them in and give them a little bit here and a little bit there."
Highsmith, an outside linebacker, is a prime example of a guy with an increased workload week to week.
In the first few games, Highsmith (third round) played limited snaps behind Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt. But beginning against the Baltimore Ravens, Highsmith got more time as an extra outside linebacker -- and he proved he belonged immediately. Against the Ravens, Highsmith grabbed his first interception, picking off reigning MVP Lamar Jackson. A week later, he recorded his first career sack against the Cowboys.
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Matthew Berry expects a big game out of Tee Higgins against the Steelers because he's the No. 2 pass catcher on a Bengals offense that loves to throw the ball.
"He has done a really good job of adapting to this league and doing what we ask him to do -- very sharp young man," Butler said. "You don't have to tell him but once. He rarely makes the same mistake twice."
Along with Brooks, running back Anthony McFarland (fourth round) and Davis, a defensive tackle taken in the seventh round, have played the fewest snaps of the Steelers' rookies. But each has been crucial. McFarland has change-of-pace speed, and Davis helped fill in for Tyson Alualu against the Cowboys, putting himself in position to sniff out a screen and record a tackle for a loss of 4 yards.
"I think they're coming along pretty good," Heyward said of the rookies. "Everybody is a work in progress, including myself. I don't think we're the team that's ready to win the Super Bowl, but I think we can keep progressing."
Bengals
With everything shut down this spring because of COVID-19, the Bengals' coaching staff made the most of the situation. Staffers spent the day watching tape and called prospects at night. They also had extra hours available since they weren't going to be in airports, hotels or cars going to visit prospects.
"In substitution of that, we're sitting at our house doing FaceTime or Zoom calls with the players and just watching more tape and maybe moving up our draft meetings a little bit sooner than we normally would have done," Taylor said in March.
That process resulted in a draft class that could be the bedrock for the future of the franchise. In addition to Burrow, the Bengals landed Higgins, who quickly cemented himself as a starter and one of the top rookie wideouts in the NFL.
"Tee's emergence just makes that room even more dynamic," Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said of a receiving corps that includes Higgins, Tyler Boyd and A.J. Green. "And I think he's the one I'm probably most pleasantly surprised about so far, as good as he's played."
But it's not just the big-name rookies whom the Bengals have relied upon.
Linebackers Logan Wilson (third round) and Akeem Davis-Gaither (fourth round) have worked their way into the rotation.
Offensive lineman Hakeem Adeniji (sixth round) started at left tackle against Tennessee because of injuries and defensive end Khalid Kareem (fifth round) saw his snap count increase after Carlos Dunlap was traded. Even linebacker Markus Bailey, a seventh-round pick, has been active for a handful of games and received some snaps.
Most of the seven draft picks came from successful programs with high expectations. Kareem said that has helped the Bengals' rookie class in its transition to the NFL.
"I felt like our programs, as far as college, taught us how to be a pro early," said Kareem, who went to Notre Dame. "And so we took the same work ethic from college, and I feel like we're definitely in the NFL right now."
Kareem referenced maturity, something that Taylor touched on as well when speaking to Pittsburgh media about Cincinnati's rookies.
"Six of those seven guys were captains on the college teams, most of them multiyear starters," Taylor said. "They were leaders in their programs. In that way, it doesn't shock you that they were able to handle a lack of preseason and offseason and come in and play."
Amid rebuilding, injuries and illness, the Bengals' rookies have been needed to stay afloat this season.
Burrow is the one who shoulders the biggest burden in that regard. Injuries to the entire starting offensive line and star running back Joe Mixon have only amplified the need for Burrow to play well. When Cincinnati drafted Burrow, Taylor said Burrow's plate would be full early. And the quarterback from LSU has responded well.
Heading into Week 10, Burrow is third in the NFL in total pass attempts. Yet he's remained efficient and accurate. According to NFL Next Gen Stats data, Burrow is second in the league in completion percentage above expectations (minimum 200 attempts).
On Sunday, he'll get his first taste of the Bengals-Steelers rivalry. The Bengals haven't beaten the Steelers since 2015. If they're going to do it -- and turn the entire franchise around -- they will have to rely upon the 2020 draft class to get it done.
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