One preseason game in and the Pittsburgh Steelers seem to already be enjoying the fruits of the 2023 NFL Draft.
The team’s selections were touted by many analysts as one of the strongest cumulative drafts, highlighted by the likes of Broderick Jones and Joey Porter Jr. However, it was the Steelers’ second- and fourth-round selections that made the most noise on Friday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Keeanu Benton and Nick Herbig were a force, consistently disrupting both the pass and run game of the Bucs in the Steelers’ 27-17 win. Benton ended the game with three tackles and one tackle for loss, while Herbig finished with three tackles, 1.5 sacks, and one tackle for loss.
Despite the standout performances, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin seems to be taking it with a grain of salt.
“The other day they weren’t playing against the ones,” Austin told Steelers.com in reference to the rookies largely seeing action against Tampa Bay’s second- and third-string players. “You want to see them against better competition. You want to see them play down after down, playing a number of snaps in a row, and see how they do.”
Finding consistency in reserves for both the outside linebacker and defensive line spots has been difficult to come by in recent years making Austin’s comments on the pair of Wisconsin Badgers even more potent.
Since the abrupt retirement of Stephon Tuitt, Pittsburgh has struggled to find a long-term running mate alongside Cameron Heyward. Tyson Alualu’s decline in play in 2022 following his knee injury also left a hole at nose tackle, which forced players like Montravius Adams off the practice squad and into meaningful NFL games. Benton’s unique blend of passing rushing and run stopping presents a player who should be able to handle both roles.
Likewise, the Steelers have not had a reliable third outside linebacker in years. The Melvin Ingram experiment was fun while it lasted. But after a trade request, the team was back to picking off the scrap heaps for anyone to spell either T.J. Watt or Alex Highsmith. Though the team did sign Markus Golden in the offseason, Herbig’s pass rushing skills will undoubtedly be used if he can consistently stack wins at the pro level.
As the season continues to draw closer, pay close attention to both Benton and Herbig as they aim to carve out roles on Sundays.
