Despite no 1st-round pick, Steelers produced fruitful ’20 draft class

They made fewer picks than they’d in 17 years and didn’t even have one within the first spherical. However the Pittsburgh Steelers produced a fruitful 2020 draft class.

Receiver Chase Claypool, exterior linebacker Alex Highsmith and guard Kevin Dotson confirmed sufficient to point they are often above-average NFL starters. For a category that lacked a first-round decide, that’s thought-about a top quality haul.

“I used to be actually happy with the contributions and the extent of maturity displayed by the draft class,” coach Mike Tomlin stated, “given the circumstances of how they got here into the season.”

These circumstances had been unprecedented in that not one of the rookies had the good thing about rookie minicamp, organized workforce actions or preseason video games due to covid-19 considerations. A lot of the instruction they received throughout the first three months after the draft got here nearly.

“It’s a tip of the cap to (rookies) and the people who labored alongside them, coaches — and never solely the coaches, the opposite gamers and older gamers that mentored them,” Tomlin stated.

The coronavirus-affected season didn’t inhibit the manufacturing of Claypool, Highsmith and Dotson, who, to various levels, put their stamp on a 12-4 division champion.

A second-round select of Notre Dame, Claypool led the Steelers in complete touchdowns (11), receiving touchdowns (tied, 9) and yards per catch (14.1). His 873 receiving yards ranked second. Claypool led all NFL rookies in receiving touchdowns and was tied for second in total touchdowns.

“He’s above the curve relating to physicalness and conditioning and psychological,” Randy Fichtner stated of Claypool final week earlier than getting fired after the season ended.

Whereas Claypool’s impression was instant, Dotson and Highsmith needed to develop into their roles.

Highsmith, regardless of enjoying a place manned by an All-Professional and one of many workforce’s highest-paid gamers, regularly earned elevated enjoying time. He usurped Ola Adeniyi’s spot as the highest backup to T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree and had an interception and sack over his first 10 video games.

However the third-round decide from Charlotte was pressed into heavy motion when Dupree suffered a torn ACL on Dec. 2. In response to Professional Soccer Focus, from that time, solely three edge rushers within the league had extra quarterback pressures from the appropriate aspect than Highsmith (17) the remainder of the season.

In response to ESPN and Subsequent Gen Stats, Highsmith had a passrush “win charge” of 24% as an edge rusher. If he would have performed sufficient snaps to qualify for that metric’s leaderboard, Highsmith would have rated seventh amongst edge rushers, one spot forward of much-ballyhooed rookie Chase Younger.

Dotson, a fourth-round decide from Louisiana, began two video games at every guard spot and would have performed much more if not for testing constructive for covid-19 in December. PFF rated Dotson because the NFL’s finest pass-blocking guard, reporting he allowed no sacks or QB hits and only one QB hurry over 219 passing snaps.

What makes the emergence of Claypool, Highsmith and Dotson so well timed is there was a participant forward of every on the depth chart who was within the last yr of his contract.

The Steelers are in dire salary-cap straits for the upcoming free-agent season. If Dupree, guard Matt Feiler and receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster are allowed to stroll, will probably be, partially, as a result of the Steelers are snug with Highsmith, Dotson and Claypool slotting into their roles.

Chris Adamski is a Tribune-Evaluation employees author. You possibly can contact Chris by electronic mail at cadamski@triblive.com or by way of Twitter .