Week 5 is in the books, and the rookie usage picture around the NFL is starting to take shape. The easiest way to tell which teams are leaning hardest on their first-year players is still the simplest one: snaps. And by that measure, Miami is miles ahead of everyone else.
The Dolphins have already piled up 2,090 rookie snaps, putting them on pace for 7,106 over the season. That would put them just shy of the most rookie snaps played in a season over the last decade, behind the Browns’ 2016 rookie class, which logged 7,185 in a 16-game season.
Miami’s volume is driven by need as much as anything else. The roster is thin, the team is one of three winless clubs, and the rookie class has been forced into major roles from the start.
Linebacker Jacob Rodriguez has been everywhere, leading all NFL players with 57 tackles. He, along with safety Michael Taaffe, cornerback Chris Johnson and offensive guard Kadyn Proctor, has topped 250 snaps already. Proctor has also held up in pass protection, allowing a pressure every 22.9 pass blocking snaps, according to TruMedia.
The Dolphins have also gotten real production from beyond the premium picks. Rookie receivers Chris Bell, Kevin Coleman Jr. and Caleb Douglas have all been leaned on heavily, with Douglas missing time because of injury. In all, Miami has already played 14 rookies.
Cleveland sits second on the list with 1,401 rookie snaps, and the Browns have gotten exactly what they wanted from their top-end picks. Every one of their top-100 selections has contributed.
Spencer Fano is starting at left tackle, Austin Barber at right guard, and both are handling real responsibility in the trenches. Fano is allowing a pressure once every 23.1 pass blocking snaps, while Barber is up to every 46.3 snaps, per TruMedia.
The Browns have also gotten meaningful work from their receivers. Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion rank among the team’s top three in receptions, yards and targets.
On defense, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren’s role keeps growing each week. His length and downhill aggression have helped Cleveland vary its personnel groupings and blitz looks, and he often handles the single-high job when the team wants that look.
Cleveland’s other five draft picks have combined for just 118 snaps, and all but three of those have come on special teams.
Los Angeles, despite an ugly 0-5 start, ranks third with 1,301 rookie snaps. The Chargers’ issues run deeper than injuries, but the injuries have mattered too.
Veteran center Tyler Biadasz suffered a season-ending injury before the season, and that pushed Day 2 pick Jake Slaughter into the starting lineup. Slaughter is allowing a pressure every 25.7 pass blocking snaps, according to TruMedia.
The Chargers have used 10 rookies on offense or defense this season. Of the team’s 612 offensive snaps, five offensive linemen have accounted for all but 22. Safety Genesis Smith and edge rusher Akheem Mesidor are both fully part of the defensive rotation.
New York checks in fourth at 1,246 rookie snaps, and the Giants’ first-round haul is doing plenty of the heavy lifting. Linebacker Arvell Reese and right guard Francis Mauigoa, both top-10 picks, have combined for more than half of the team’s rookie snaps. Special teams have also taken up 22% of the rookie total.
Reese has looked the part through five games. Mauigoa is allowing a pressure every 18.7 pass blocking snaps, according to TruMedia.
Cornerback Colton Hood has started two games, while wide receiver Malachi Fields has chipped in on both the run and pass sides of the game. Fields was also one of the non-first-round picks who has taken on a major role this season.
Baltimore rounds out the top five with 1,101 rookie snaps. The Ravens’ rookie class is led by offensive lineman Vega Ioane, who had been playing right guard before being forced to start at center in Week 5.
The addition of Cam Jurgens should let Baltimore put its five best linemen on the field. Ioane is allowing a pressure every 32.4 pass blocking snaps, according to TruMedia.
The Ravens have also leaned on rookie tight ends Matthew Hibner and Josh Cuevas to help make up for the losses of Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar. Wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane got a heavy workload in Week 1 before an injury ended his season. On defense, cornerback Chandler Rivers and edge rushers Zion Young and Ethan Burke have all worked their way into the rotation.
At the other end of the ledger, the five lowest rookie snap totals belong to the Broncos (63), Rams (194), Seahawks (283), Eagles (403) and Cardinals (545).
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