When the losses start piling up, it's time to see what the youths have. That's where the Cincinnati Bengals are trending, if they're not there already.

A few members of this year's draft class are solidifying themselves as the Bengals' disappointing season rolls on. The defense has two of them starting now, and another gaining more and more trust as a rotational player, but will the offense get the memo and let their rookies see the field? 

Here's how Cincinnati's 2023 rookie class is looking with six weeks to play in the season.

Myles Murphy, first round pick

Current role: Reserve edge defender
Total snaps: 220 (162 on defense)
The heart of the season has been Murphy's taking off point. Last time we checked on him after Week 6 he was at 66 defensive snaps. He's logged nearly 100 in five games since then. What has he done with that increase in usage? Only doubled his sack total and nearly quadruple his pressure total, per Pro Football Focus. In the last four games alone, Murphy has eight pressures and a takedown of Kenny Pickett. 

There's still plenty of room for Murphy to grow, but the fact that he's shown notable progress in the first 160 snaps of his career bodes well for him getting as close to his potential as possible down the road.

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DJ Turner II, second round pick

Current role: Starting cornerback
Total snaps: 584 (509 on defense)
Turner is undoubtedly going to lead all rookies in snaps for Cincinnati. He's started the last eight games along with Cam Taylor-Britt (and Chidobe Awuzie last Sunday). Turner's simply been good enough to keep him on the field over Awuzie, who's had an up-and-done year returning from injury. It hasn't all been roses though. He ran into some problems going up against top-tier quarterbacks Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, an expected result. Coming up clutch with a late game pass deflection against the Houston Texans and taking away a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers are examples as to why you let him grow through those shortcomings.

As the Bengals continue to get younger on defense, they should feel comfortable about the cornerback spot with Turner holding down one side.

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Jordan Battle, third round pick

Current role: Starting safety
Total snaps: 399 (212 on defense)
Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo made it official last week when he proclaimed Battle will have a larger role going forward. The rookie leapfrogged veteran Nick Scott at the safety spot next to Dax Hill, and the Bengals will be better for it. In a year where tackling has been a large concern, Battle has been a complete asset. PFF has him with a tackling grade of 84.4 for the season. In the last two weeks, when Battle has acted as the starter, he logged 14 tackles and six stops with no missed tackles to speak of. 

Had Battle started from the jump and played like this, we probably wouldn't have had the conversation about how much Jessie Bates III and Vonn Bell have been missed. Hill and Battle seem to be a fine duo going forward, and they'll only get more comfortable together. 

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Charlie Jones, fourth round pick

Current role: Punt returner & reserve slot receiver
Total snaps: 26 (eight on offense)
Jones missed six games and seven weeks total with a thumb injury before returning in Week 11 to the same role he had prior to going on Injured Reserve. He scooted for a 20-yard punt return in his first game back against the Baltimore Ravens, and didn't get the chance against the Steelers. 

A chance is what he needs at the receiver position, but he might be severely behind after missing so much time. They need to get him up to speed quickly so we can find out what he brings before the offseason arrives with several questions at the position.

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Chase Brown, fifth round pick

Current role: Reserve running back
Total snaps: 75 (eight on offense)
The sentiment with Jones absolutely applies to Brown, who also missed a good chunk of games right as it seemed he was going to be more involved. Brown tweaked his hamstring and sat on I.R. for four games. His first game back was last Sunday, and he never touched the field on offense. Not great! 

With the season slipping away, it would be a complete disservice for everyone involved if Brown doesn't at least get a chance in the Bengals' backfield.

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Andrei Iosivas, sixth round pick

Current role: Reserve wide receiver
Total snaps: 252 (106 on offense)
Another unfortunate injury for Tee Higgins has kept Iosivas on the field for about a dozen snaps a game the past two weeks. With Joe Burrow at quarterback, "Yoshi" was good for about a target or two a game, and almost exclusively in the red zone. In Jake Browning's first start, he caught his longest pass of the season for 16 yards. 

Once Higgins returns, Iosivas will likely go down to a few routes per game once more. A big question heading into the offseason will be if he's shown enough for the Bengals to roll with him in a much larger role going forward.  

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Brad Robbins, sixth round pick

Current role: Punter, holder
Total snaps: 98
Every once in a while, Robbins will boom a punt that's reminiscent of his days at Michigan. Most of the time, he's been nothing more than a replacement-level punter. His net average of 39.9 yards and average hang time of 4.25 seconds are both lower than where you'd expect them to be at this point. His coffin-corner skills aren't nearly as good as advertised either. 

Opposing returners are averaging just 7.4 yards per return, and only one punter has had more fair catches called for than the 21 he's been responsible for. Positives do exist, believe it or not. 

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DJ Ivey, seventh round pick

Current role: Reserve cornerback
Total snaps: 74 (four on defense)
Being buried on the depth chart is tough, but at least the Bengals haven't had to go this far deep into their cornerback depth this year. 

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