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Steelers 2020 NFL rookie report card

Curt Popejoy
·2 min read

Last season, expectations were tempered for the 2020 NFL draft class. With a stacked roster and without a first-round pick, there wasn’t a ton of pressure on any of the Steelers rookies to contribute immediately.

But once the season began and injuries and issues started to arise, several guys from this group stepped up and gave fans a taste of the future. Here are our final grades for the top Steelers rookies from 2020.

WR-Chase Claypool | B+

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Claypool came out fast as a rookie, stalled out in the middle of the season and made something of a comeback down the stretch. Claypool showed off his elite athleticism when allowed and surprising speed. With JuJu Smith-Schuster likely leaving Claypool a feature role in 2021. Claypool finished the season with 62 receptions for 873 receiving yards and 11 total touchdowns.

EDGE-Alex Highsmith | B+

(AP Photo/Justin Berl)

We didn't get a chance to see much of Highsmith last season until Bud Dupree tore his ACL. But after a game or two in the starting lineup, we got a good look at how complete Highsmith's game is and what a full offseason is going to mean for him. Highsmith started the last five games of the season and finished with 48 total tackles, five tackles for loss and six quarterback hits.

G-Kevin Dotson | A

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Not team got greater value from a fourth-round pick than the Steelers did with Dotson. A lifelong Steelers fan, Dotson came in and showed that despite playing his college ball at Louisiana-Lafayette, the NFL game was not too big for him. This is a young man with a very bright future. Dotson earned four starts as a rookie and should be the full-time starting left guard in 2021.

RB-Anthony McFarland | Incomplete

(AP Photo/Barry Reeger)

We include McFarland in this list even though he only rushed for 113 yards on the season and was played very little. But the future of McFarland could be quite bright as his old college head coach Matt Canada now takes over as the Steelers offensive coordinator.

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