Sports · American Football · 1 hr ago
Dolphins and Browns lead NFL teams relying on rookies
After Week 5 of the 2026 NFL season, Miami had 14 first-year contributors, putting the Dolphins near a record pace.
The Browns ranked second with 1,401 rookie snaps, and their top-100 draft picks Spencer Fano and Austin Barber were starting on the offensive line.
The Ravens, Giants and Chargers also ranked among the five teams with the most rookie playing time, with 1,101, 1,246 and 1,301 snaps respectively.
Playing time is one way to measure how much a team is getting from its rookie class.
Several rookies have stepped into important roles, including Chargers center Jake Slaughter after veteran Tyler Biadasz suffered a season-ending injury before the season.
The Chargers were 0-5 after five games, while rookie playing time has also helped Cleveland cover key roles; the figures show how much teams are relying on newcomers early in the season.
Miami has 14 first-year contributors, a near-record pace, according to CBS Sports.
Cleveland ranks second among the teams listed, with rookies playing 1,401 snaps through Week 5.
The Baltimore Ravens, New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers also rank among the five teams whose rookies have played the most snaps.
The report measures rookie impact by playing time and describes contributions across offense, defense and special teams.
- Who
- Rookie players for the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns and other NFL teams.
- What
- The report compares NFL teams by the number of snaps played by rookies.
- When
- After Week 5 of the 2026 NFL season.
- Where
- The NFL; specific locations are not stated.
- Why
- The report assesses how much playing time teams are getting from their rookie classes.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Ja'Kobi Lane had a significant workload for Baltimore before an injury ended his season.
A season-ending injury to veteran center Tyler Biadasz put rookie Jake Slaughter into the Chargers' starting lineup.
The report assessed rookie playing time after five weeks of the NFL season.
- Dolphins
- 14 first-year contributors, described as a near-record pace
- Browns
- 1,401 rookie snaps
- Giants
- 1,246 rookie snaps
- Chargers
- 1,301 rookie snaps
- Ravens
- 1,101 rookie snaps
Sources
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