When you are a rookie in the NFL, there is often a steep learning curve when it comes to transitioning from the college game to the pro level. The speed of the game, the mental processing of the other players on the field, and the intricacies of executing at a high level against better competition often lead to a development period as new players get eased into the league during their first couple of seasons.
For the Pittsburgh Steelers, this is how they traditionally used to handle their rookies, especially on the defensive side of the football. Guys like Lawrence Timmons and Ryan Shazier played in rotational roles as rookies before seeing their playing time increase in the seasons to follow, giving them time to adjust to the speed of the game and get comfortable with the complexity of Pittsburgh’s defense. The same can be said for former DL Stephon Tuitt. Drafted 46th overall in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, he started just four of 16 games played as a rookie as he notably sat behind veterans like Cam Thomas for most of his rookie campaign.
Once Tuitt got on the field, however, it was evident that he was clearly the better player with more talent and upside than Thomas. While Tuitt never made a Pro Bowl, he and Cameron Heyward ended up forming a dynamic duo in the middle of the Pittsburgh defense, later joining with DL Javon Hargrave to form one of the best defensive lines in football.
While Tuitt needed time to develop and acclimate to the speed of the NFL game, the Steelers did him a disservice by keeping him on the bench as long as they did. He was clearly the better player than Thomas, but they limited his opportunity to get meaningful snaps and “learn on the job” by relying on a player of lesser caliber than Tuitt, on whom Pittsburgh spent premium draft capital to acquire.
Heading into 2023, Pittsburgh has a similar scenario on its hands, having drafted Wisconsin DL Keeanu Benton 49th overall in the second round this spring. Much like Tuitt coming out of Notre Dame, Benton has the size and length that Pittsburgh looks for at the position. He has flashed the ability to be a quality run stuffer as well as the skill set to win as a pass rusher, having room to grow more in that facet of his game in the pros.
Similar to 2014 when Pittsburgh signed Thomas, the team went out and loaded up on defensive linemen, signing Armon Watts and Breiden Fehoko to join Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi, Isaiahh Loudermilk, Montravius Adams, and DeMarvin Leal. Watts and Fehoko have experience in this league, but neither should be considered a high-quality starter given their respective resumes.
Looking at the defensive line room as currently constructed, Heyward and Ogunjobi should be Pittsburgh’s top two DL without question. After that, however, Benton should be considered as the next man up as a rotational player in sub packages as well as the team’s potential starter at nose tackle. He is a better athlete and brings more to the table as a pass rusher than Adams or Fehoko at the nose and should be considered one of Pittsburgh’s long-term solutions along the defensive line.
Don’t get me wrong, guys like Leal and Watts should still factor into the rotation at Pittsburgh’s base DE positions along with Benton behind Heyward and Ogunjobi. Still, the Steelers need to avoid making the same mistake with Benton that they did with Tuitt nearly a decade ago by playing a lesser-caliber player over a rookie who can contribute right away and produce at a similar, if not better, level than the veteran.
Fehoko provides hardly anything as a pass rusher and Adams has been inconsistent as a D-lineman after Pittsburgh acquired the journeyman out of desperation a couple seasons ago. Meanwhile, Benton is a young, talented, and versatile defensive lineman who can play up and down the LOS and has extensive experience playing the nose at Wisconsin. If the Steelers are wise, they will consider having Benton start at NT right out the gate and work into the rotation in sub packages, putting him on the fast track to become a meaningful contributor on the defensive line sooner rather than later as a rookie.
