The 2020 Pittsburgh Steelers rookie class completed their fifth season in 2024. After playing two full seasons and part of a third with the Steelers, Chase Claypool was traded to the Chicago Bears for a 2023 draft pick. Alex Highsmith remains on the roster and is stacking up sacks opposite T.J. Watt. Just two picks to track this season since the Steelers traded their 2020 first round draft pick to acquire Minkah Fitzpatrick in 2019. I’ll recap the rest of the Steelers 2020 rookie class after comparing the top two picks against their draft day contemporaries.
Here is the link to their fourth year recap if you want to compare the statistical changes from last season.
I’ll be recapping the Steelers rookie classes from 2020 to 2024. Here are the recaps already posted:
2021 Rookie Draft Class: Some contributors. But will free agency leave just one?
2022 Rookie Draft Class. Whiffed on franchise quarterback. Will Pickens be back in 2025?
2023 Rookie Draft Class. Room for improvement in 2025.
2024 Rookie Draft Class. Feast or famine class.
All statistics extracted from the Pro Football Reference (PFR) unless otherwise noted. The tables highlight each player’s Steelers Depot draft profile where available. Here is how the Steelers top two 2020 draft picks stack up statistically against their contemporaries after five seasons of play:
WIDE RECEIVER
| Name | G | Snaps D/ST | TGTs | RECs | Yds | Succ% | Y/R | Y/G | Catch % | Drop% | Pts |
| Justin Jefferson | 77 | 4572/5 | 730 | 495 | 7432 | 58.2 | 15.0 | 96.5 | 67.8 | 2.7 | 252 |
| CeeDee Lamb | 81 | 4444/97 | 720 | 496 | 6339 | 55.3 | 12.8 | 78.3 | 68.9 | 4.9 | 258 |
| Brandon Aiyuk | 69 | 3796/63 | 446 | 294 | 4305 | 60.8 | 14.6 | 62.4 | 65.9 | 4.9 | 164 |
| Michael Pittman Jr. | 78 | 4639/29 | 598 | 405 | 4470 | 53.5 | 11.0 | 57.3 | 67.7 | 2.8 | 114 |
| Tee Higgins | 70 | 3481/5 | 512 | 330 | 4595 | 59.8 | 13.9 | 65.6 | 64.5 | 6.1 | 208 |
| Jerry Jeudy | 74 | 3654/0 | 501 | 301 | 4282 | 48.1 | 14.2 | 57.9 | 60.1 | 6.2 | 96 |
| Chase Claypool | 58 | 2372/229 | 314 | 175 | 2261 | 44.9 | 12.9 | 39.0 | 55.7 | 5.1 | 90 |
| Laviska Shenault Jr. | 63 | 1632/307 | 226 | 163 | 1587 | 49.1 | 9.7 | 25.2 | 72.1 | 5.8 | 48 |
| Henry Ruggs III | 20 | 915/52 | 79 | 50 | 921 | 55.7 | 18.4 | 46.1 | 63.3 | 6.3 | 24 |
| Van Jefferson | 78 | 2971/116 | 247 | 137 | 1876 | 49.0 | 13.7 | 24.1 | 55.5 | 4.5 | 72 |
| Jalen Reagor | 64 | 1789/235 | 159 | 86 | 1037 | 39.0 | 12.1 | 16.2 | 54.1 | 4.4 | 38 |
| Denzel Mims | 30 | 988/3 | 92 | 42 | 676 | 38.0 | 16.1 | 22.5 | 45.7 | 6.5 | 2 |
| KJ Hamler | 23 | 833/16 | 80 | 42 | 620 | 37.5 | 14.8 | 27.0 | 52.5 | 10.0 | 18 |
Career Earnings and Relative Value
Here is a chart showing the career earnings from Over the Cap of the group with their overall selection in the draft and how I ranked them:
| Name | Drafted by | Drafted | Rank | Career Earnings |
| Justin Jefferson | Vikings | Round 1/22 | 1 | 51,185,806 |
| CeeDee Lamb | Cowboys | Round 1/17 | 2 | 53,160,014 |
| Brandon Aiyuk | 49ers | Round 1/25 | 3 | 36,656,350 |
| Michael Pittman | Colts | Round 2/34 | 3 | 37,821,363 |
| Tee Higgins | Bengals | Round 2/33 | 5 | 31,701,226 |
| Jerry Jeudy | Broncos | Round 1/15 | 6 | 34,192,958 |
| Van Jefferson | Rams | Round 2/57 | 7 | 6,906,640 |
| Laviska Shenault | Jaguars | Round 2/42 | 8 | 9,136,266 |
| Chase Claypool | Steelers | Round 2/49 | 9 | 8,122,368 |
| Jalen Reagor | Eagles | Round 1/21 | 10 | 15,329,078 |
| Denzel Mims | Jets | Round 2/59 | 11 | 4,424,805 |
| Henry Ruggs III | Raiders | Round 1/12 | 12 | 10,902,732 |
| KJ Hamler | Broncos | Round 2/46 | 13 | 6,086,100 |
Wide Receiver Summary
Justin Jefferson is distancing himself from the pack. In five years, he’s a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time first team All-Pro. Jefferson led the NFL in receptions and receiving yards in 2022. And named AP and PFWA offensive player of the year that season. Jefferson signed a four-year, $140 million contract extension in 2024.
Not too far behind is CeeDee Lamb. He’s also a four-time Pro Bowler and first team All-Pro. The differentiator is Jefferson’s very low drop rate and he’s on pace for a career leading 96.5 receiving yards per game. Lamb does have more receptions and points scored than Jefferson. But that is with four more games played and its only one more reception and six points scored. Lamb signed a four-year, $136 million deal with Dallas.
Distant Thirds
Brandon Aiyuk is a distant third among this group. After holding out for much of training camp, Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension with the 49ers. But he tore his ACL and MCL and missed the last 10 games of the 2024 season. He had been rusty due to his holdout before that, though he had a 147-yard receiving game against Arizona. Before that he gained over 1,000 receiving yards in 2022 and 2023. He was second in the NFL with 17.9 yards per reception in 2023. We’ll see how he bounces back from his injury.
I have Michael Pittman tied with Aiyuk. He’s quietly put together two 1000-yard receiving seasons with five different starting quarterbacks (Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, Gardner Minshew, and Anthony Richardson). And another five backups that have thrown passes in the same span. Pittman has the second lowest drop rate and third most receptions in the group. Remarkable considering the number of quarterbacks rotating in at Indianapolis. He signed a three-year, $71.5 million contract extension before the 2024 season.
Tee Higgins remarkably consistent in his first three NFL seasons. But rib and hamstring injuries limited him to 12 games in 2023 and 2024. Yet, he caught a career-high 10 touchdowns in 2024. Higgins is third in scoring, receiving yards, and yard per game in the group. But what drops him in the rankings in this group is his 6.1 percent drop rate and injury history. He signed a one year $21,816,000 deal in 2024. And is a free agent in 2025.
Jerry Jeudy had his best season in 2024 after Denver traded him to the Browns. He made a career high 90 catches for 1,229 yards and scored four touchdowns. But he dropped nine passes. Second most in the NFL for 2024. His 6.2 drop rate is tenth in the group. He did make the Pro Bowl in 2024. And looks to be a dangerous receiver for Cleveland.
The WR Group Falls Off
The WR group begins to fall off in the next grouping of Van Jefferson, Chase Claypool, Laviska Shenault, and Jalen Reagor. Claypool made a splash with 11 touchdowns as a rookie. That led to his placement on the PFWA All-Rookie team. He had similar receptions and yardage in 2021 but just two scores. Once he was traded to the Bears Claypool contributed little else. He did not play in 2024. Van Jefferson did play for the Steelers in 2024. But was a role receiver with just 24 receptions for 276 yards and two touchdowns. His best season back in 2021 when he had 50 catches for 802 yards and six touchdowns.
Laviska Shenault has played for four teams. He had a couple decent seasons with Jacksonville before he was traded to Carolina. His production declined and he played for Seattle and the Chargers in 2024. His 9.7 yards a reception lowest in the group. Jalen Reagor spent the past two seasons on various practice squads. He’s played 19 games the past two seasons with 14 catches for 238 yards. These four may end up in training camps this summer. But making and staying on a roster will be difficult in 2025.
The last group has not played in a few seasons. Henry Ruggs remains working in a community trustee inmate program after a fatal DUI incident. He’s not played since 2021. Denzel Mims was on the Steelers practice squad in 2023. But was released during the 2024 training camp. He has not played in the NFL since 2022. K.J. Hamler played three seasons with Denver. But a series of injuries including an inflammation of tissue around the heart stymied his career. He did sign a futures contract with Buffalo for 2025. But he has not played since 2022.
LINEBACKER
| Name | G | Snaps D/ST | INTs | PDs | FF | FR | Sacks | Tackles | TFL | QBH | Missed Tkl% |
| Alex Highsmith | 75 | 3664/474 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 35.5 | 287 | 49 | 72 | 4.7 |
| Logan Wilson | 68 | 3820/501 | 11 | 21 | 6 | 2 | 5.5 | 495 | 19 | 18 | 6.6 |
| Willie Gay Jr. | 72 | 2213/368 | 4 | 22 | 3 | 6 | 7.0 | 261 | 19 | 10 | 9.4 |
| Josh Uche | 64 | 1866/348 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 20.5 | 86 | 9 | 34 | 3.4 |
| Akeem Davis-Gaither | 71 | 1381/1339 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 0.5 | 204 | 7 | 3 | 9.3 |
| Anfernee Jennings | 61 | 2143/392 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5.5 | 191 | 22 | 18 | 7.7 |
| Terrell Lewis | 30 | 823/19 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 40 | 8 | 10 | 11.1 |
| Jacob Phillips | 20 | 612/147 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 88 | 5 | 4 | 4.3 |
| Zack Baun | 78 | 1599/1358 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 5.5 | 239 | 17 | 13 | 6.6 |
| Malik Harrison | 76 | 1252/1558 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 174 | 7 | 4 | 8.9 |
| Davion Taylor | 21 | 282/209 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 1 | 0 | 13.6 |
Career Earnings and Relative Value
Here is a chart showing the career earnings from Over the Cap of the group with their overall selection in the draft and how I ranked them:
| Name | Drafted by | Drafted/OA | Rank | Earnings |
| Alex Highsmith | Steelers | Round 3/102 | 1 | 30,960,810 |
| Logan Wilson | Bengals | Round
3/65 |
2 | 22,562,368 |
| Zack Baun | Saints | Round
3/74 |
3 | 9,287,121 |
| Willie Gay Jr. | Chiefs | Round
2/63 |
4 | 8,045,671 |
| Akeem Davis-Gaither | Bengals | Round 4/107 | 5 | 6,855,008 |
| Anfernee Jennings | Patriots | Round
3/87 |
6 | 11,109,811 |
| Josh Uche | Patriots | Round
2/60 |
7 | 7,177,114 |
| Malik Harrison | Ravens | Round
3/98 |
8 | 6,943,682 |
| Terrell Lewis | Rams | Round
3/84 |
9 | 3,139,333 |
| Jacob Phillips | Browns | Round
3/97 |
10 | 4,389,310 |
| Davion Taylor | Eagles | Round 3/103 | 11 | 2,523,810 |
Linebacker Summary
Alex Highsmith remains on top of this group despite missing six games to injury in 2024. His nine forced fumbles, 35.5 sacks, 49 tackles for loss, and 72 quarterback hits dwarfs the output of the others. He chips in three interceptions including a pick-six. Overshadowed by T.J. Watt he has yet to gain a Pro Bowl berth. But is a significant contributor to Pittsburgh’s defense. The Steelers signed Highsmith to a four-year, $68 million contract extension with the Steelers in 2023.
Only Logan Wilson competes with Alex Highsmith at the top of this group. He’s intercepted 11 passes and also leads the group with 495 total tackles. In postseason, Wilson played every single defensive snap in the Bengals seven playoff games in 2021 and 2022. His big play in 2022 forced Pro Bowl quarterback Tyler Huntley to fumble at one-yard line with the game tied 17-17 in the fourth quarter. Teammate Sam Hubbard returned the fumble 98 yards for a touchdown to win 24-17. In 2021, with a game tied 16-16 with Tennessee, Wilson intercepted Ryan Tannehill pass with 28 seconds to play. The Bengals exploited the takeaway by kicking the game winning field goal. That is impactful play. But he has missed 15 regular season games due to injury. That includes Wilson going on injured reserve for the last six games of 2024 for knee surgery. Logan Wilson signed a four-year, $36 million contract extension with the Bengals in August 2023.
Distant Second Group
Zach Baun and Willie Gay are in a distant second group. I had Baun ranked near the bottom of the group last year. But he elected free agency rather than re-sign with the Saints after starting just 14 games and averaging about 20 percent of the defensive snaps his first four years. Philadelphia signed him on a one-year $3.5 million deal. The Eagles got a nice return on the investment. Baun named first team All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 2024. And nominated for Defensive Player of the Year. He forced five fumbles and made 151 tackles in the regular season. He intercepted two passes in the postseason including one off Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LIX. He was the Eagles leading tackler.
Gay also opted for free agency after four seasons with the Chiefs. While with Kansas City, Gay started 47 of 57 games with increased defensive snaps each year. He scored on a 47-yard pick-six in a 34-28 win over Denver in 2022. He played in nine playoff games for Kansas City including two Super Bowls. But he missed six regular and three playoff games due to injuries. Plus, four more in 2022 for violating the NFL personal conduct policy after an arrest in a domestic dispute. For 2024, Willie Gay signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Saints. New Orleans did not get the same return that the Eagles got for Baun. Gay started eight of 15 games played but did not dominate. He does lead the group with 22 deflected passes and six recovered fumbles.
The Next Pack
I have Akeem Davis-Gaither, Anfernee Jennings, Joshua Uche and Malik Harrison next in a pack. Davis-Gaither has his busiest season in 2024 with seven starts in 17 games for Cincinnati. He played 534 defensive and 311 special team snaps. His time on the field on defense by far the most in his career. A value pick, he’s intercepted two regular season passes and another in the playoffs. He’s scheduled to be a free agent in 2025. Anfernee Jennings missed the final game of his rookie season to a shoulder injury. Then he missed the entire 2021 season. Since then, he has played more snaps each season. The Patriots were encouraged by his performance in 2023, so they signed Jennings to a three-year, $12 million contract extension before the 2024 season. He responded with 16 game starts and played 831 defensive snaps. He improved his missed tackle rate dropping it from 9.6-percent last year to 7.3-percent after five years of play.
Joshua Uche fell off in my ranking this group. He peaked in 2022 when he sacked quarterbacks 11.5 times. He only made three sacks in 2023. In 2024, the Patriots traded Uche to the Chiefs. He was inactive for four of the Chiefs last five regular season games and did not get a hat for the playoffs. Acquired for his pass rush, he recorded no sacks in six games played for the Chiefs. Uche is second in the group with 20.5 sacks and 34 quarterback hits. But his big year in 2022 a big contributor. His production is decreasing. He’s scheduled to be a free agent in 2025. Behind Uche is Malik Harrison. Harrison is a spot-starter and special teamer for the Ravens. He’s made 174 tackles in five seasons. But not many splash plays. He’s scheduled to be a free agent in 2025.
The Rear
Terrell Lewis, Jacob Phillips and Davion Taylor form the rearguard of the group. None have played for a few seasons. Lewis played three years with the Rams. Los Angeles waived him near the end of the 2022 season. He appeared on the Bears and Saints practice squads the next two years but never activated. He was last in the Eagles training camp, but they waived him before the 2024 season. Phillips played for Cleveland from 2020 to 2022. He missed most of 2021 with biceps injury. The Browns had him on injured reserve for 2023. The Texans signed him in 2024, but he did not make the roster. Currently, Phillips is on a futures contract with the Colts. Taylor suffered injuries his first two seasons with Philadelphia. He was designated a starter in week 6 of 2021. But a knee injury knocked him out for the season after six starts. His last games. The Eagles released him after the 2023 training camp. The Bears and Cardinals signed him in 2023, but he did not play any games. He went to the Ottawa Redblacks of the CFL in 2024.
Day Three Selections
The Steelers made four day-three selections. Plus, two 2020 undrafted free agents play for Pittsburgh.
Fourth round pick Anthony McFarland played in 17 games during his four years with the Steelers. The bulk of his offensive snaps came in his rookie season. The Steelers used McFarland as a kick returner in 2021 and 2023. He returned nine kickoffs averaging 26.3 yards a return. The Steelers did not re-sign him for 2024. He ended up playing with the San Antonio Brahmas in the United Football League. Then signed with Miami. But he did not make their roster.
Conversely, fellow fourth round pick Kevin Dotson played 39 games including nine starts in 2021 and all 17 games in 2022. His limitations as a pass defender and 19 penalties led to the Steelers trading Dotson to the Rams. He’s excelled there, starting all 30 games, he’s played for the Rams the past two seasons. He’s cut down on his penalties. His improvement may be attributed to playing his natural position. Dotson signed a three-year, $48 million contract extension with the Rams in March 2024.
Sixth round pick Antoine Brooks played in four games his rookie season. He played 28 defensive snaps in the 36-10 win over the Bengals. The Steelers waived him injured in the 2021 preseason. The Los Angeles Rams signed him, and he played eight games, all on special teams. The Rams waived Brooks prior to the 2022 season. The Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL drafted Brooks in November 2022. And then the Memphis Showboats after Seattle folded during the XFL-USFL merger. He headed north to Canada and the Saskatchewan Roughriders signing with the CFL team in April 2024.
Seventh rounder Carlos Davis played 116 defensive snaps in 12 games for the Steelers. He totaled 12 tackles, one quarterback hit and one sack. But played only one game and 12 snaps in 2022. Perhaps sensing he did not have a future in Pittsburgh, he did not sign a futures contract. Instead, he visited other teams. He signed with Atlanta in 2023 but did not make the squad. He played for the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football league where he made the All-UFL team. That led to Cincinnati signing him. But he did not make their roster in 2024. He re-signed with Birmingham in December.
Undrafted Free Agents
The Steelers signed ten undrafted free agents in 2020. Only two are mentionable. Cornerback James Pierre played in 81 of 84 games the past five seasons. He’s played 933 defensive, and 1,191 special teams snaps during that period including eight starts. Pierre intercepted three passes, defended 11, and forced five fumbles, recovering one. A core special teamer will see if is back for a sixth season in Pittsburgh.
Corliss Waitman lost out to Jordan Berry then Pressley Harvin in camp battles. He did play two games in late 2021 averaging 52.1 yards on seven punts. He found a home in Denver in 2022 leading the NFL with 96 punts at 46.9 yards a boot. But he could not stick to the roster. But Waitman signed with the Steelers again following a season-ending injury to Cameron Johnston in week 1. He may compete for his job in 2025. The left-footed punter gives returners problems and is certainly welcome back.
Recent Depot Articles on 2020 Rookie Class
| RD | Name | Article | Author | Trend |
| 2 | Chase Claypool | Bills Release Chase Claypool | Alex Kozora | SOLD |
| 3 | Alex Highsmith | Highsmith Receives the Chief Award | Josh Carney | UP |
| 4 | Anthony McFarland | McFarland Receives Latest NFL Look | Alex Kozora | SOLD |
| 4 | Kevin Dotson | Manyweather: Steelers Fail Dotson | Matt Marczi | SOLD |
| 6 | Antoine Brooks | Rams Waive Antoine Brooks | Dave Bryan | CFL |
| 7 | Carlos Davis | Bengals Signing Carlos Davis | Josh Carney | SOLD |
| UDFA | James Pierre | Steelers Stock Watch – Pierre | Matt Marczi | UFA |
| UDFA | Corliss Waitman | Exit Meeting – Waitman | Matt Marczi | He’s Back |
| UFA | Van Jefferson | Exit Meeting – Jefferson | Matt Marczi | UFA |
CONCLUSION
This is the final review for this rookie class. All six Steeler draftees played as rookies. But only Alex Highsmith remains. Dotson a Steelers starting guard for three seasons. And the Steelers got two and a half seasons from Claypool with a strong rookie season. But Pittsburgh still has a Pro Bowl caliber outside linebacker.
A bonus is the second round pick acquired from the Bears used to select Joey Porter Jr. And the Steelers took a flyer on Van Jefferson from this same draft.
The Steelers did get special teams help from undrafted free agent James Pierre. And another undrafted free agent returned to the team in 2024 after the team lost punter Cameron Johnston. Corliss Waitman performed commendably.
I never like hearing the phrase, “a player’s talent didn’t fit the scheme.” A good coordinator will adapt his offensive or defensive plans to highlight the strengths of the players on the roster and shield their weaknesses. The team failed Kevin Dotson who is flourishing with the Rams.
YOUR MUSIC SELECTION
I always like to include a bit of music. This draft was running dry save one defender. But a punter came back after catastrophe to stabilize the punting game. Here is Hello Again performed by Neil Diamond.
