Jackson Powers-Johnson and DJ Glaze, drafted within one round of each other back in April, found themselves playing 21 snaps alongside each other against the Carolina Panthers last Sunday.

The roads each have taken up to this point have been winding, yet they've both tried to remain unshaken.

Powers-Johnson came into the Week 3 matchup without a single rep in an NFL game up to that point. The All-American center turned guard from Oregon showed flashes of dominance in rookie minicamp. Unfortunately, he suffered several injuries that forced him out of preseason action and the first two regular season games.

The second-rounder had known for a few days that he might get his number called for a few reps on offense against the Panthers. In order to process the moment and not get overwhelmed, he simply relied on his training. He'd been ready for this moment since he was kid.

"Just filled with excitement and preparedness and I was ready to go," Powers-Johnson said of his mindset going into the game. "Really focusing in on the moment and not on the emotions. ... It's not like I'm going out there to play a video game of football, I actually have to go out there and do it. So, I was just focusing on the physical aspects of it."

Glaze, who played a few special teams snaps in the first two games, didn't have as much of an heads up Sunday. He knew that he might again get a few snaps, but that time for them came much earlier than he initially expected.

On the third play of the game, Thayer Munford Jr. suffered an injury to his knee and ankle. As Munford was being assisted to the sideline, offensive line coach James Cregg told the rookie to get his helmet strapped up. Glaze then proceeded to play the remainder of the game often lined up against former No. 1 overall pick and Pro Bowler Jadeveon Clowney.

The situation was similar to his first padded practice of training camp in Costa Mesa, California. Munford suffered an hand injury early during individual period and Glaze was the next man up to take on Maxx Crosby with the first-team unit. Over the course of the next few days, the rookie tackle held his own in the trenches, impressing his teammates and coaches in the process.

"You never know when you're going to be called, you just know you have to be ready at all times," Glaze said. "Staying locked in to the mental part of it when you're not getting 1,000 reps a day, just staying sharp on the mental side of it and the reps you do get – go 100 percent to stay ready. Third play, I had to come in, but I had already seen stuff. I had already been taking notes on it and replaying it in my mind. I just came in ready and prepared."

The poise and preparedness of the two rookies is something noticed by quarterback Gardner Minshew II. While the offensive line has already gone through several combinations, the two rookies have done their best to get up to NFL speed and contribute for the team.

"I thought they did a great job of coming in and just not flinching," Minshew said. "The moment wasn't too much for them. They were in, focused on their job, ready to go. I couldn't have asked more. Great presence in the huddle, just continue to talk to those guys to communicate with the rest of the line. That's always a struggle early on, but man, those guys are going to be really good for us, and we're going to need that whole group at O-line to win."

Antonio Pierce and Luke Getsy also spoke highly this week of how Powers-Johnson and Glaze handled themselves against the Panthers, with confidence they'll continue to evolve their roles as the season prolongs. Glaze could potentially see his first NFL start this Sunday if Munford is unable to suit up.

What's also helped within the maturation and preparedness of the two newcomers is their relationship with each other, which translated on the field in their limited reps next to each other last Sunday.

"You could see when he came in, he was an energy guy, chasing after the ball, just running. We feed off of that stuff," Glaze said about Powers-Johnson. "A guy like that who can come in and provide that kind of spark, you want to be around that. ... Just the communication, he helped me stay clean on some stuff. Working together, it was huge being there with him."

"DJ is an amazing person, has an amazing family and he's an amazing football player," Powers-Johnson added. "Having him step up like that, I'm not surprised and I'm was happy for him and rooting for him. It was really exciting to see. And actually getting to play by him was huge, too. I love seeing him step up and I'm really proud of him. I'm happy I've been able to go through this process with him."