Through the first three weeks of the 2023 season, one rookie for the Pittsburgh Steelers is flying under the radar with limited snaps, yet is impressing in those reps.
That would be rookie second-round defensive tackle Keeanu Benton.
Benton has stepped up in a big way for the Steelers with star Cameron Heyward on Injured Reserve due to groin surgery and has provided some strong play overall.
In just 78 snaps, Benton grades out at a 73.7 overall from Pro Football Focus with two of his three games so far this season grading out in the 80s. Along with his 73.7 overall grade, Benton has a 53.4 run defense grade and a rather impressive 87.0 pass rush grade from PFF.
That has Benton earning high praise from The 33rd Team’s Marcus Mosher on Friday morning. Mosher highlighted Benton as one of six under-the-radar rookies that are impressing so far in the 2023 season.
“Another rookie defensive tackle that has stood out has been Keeanu Benton of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Drafted in the second round, Benton was selected to be a rotational player behind Cameron Heyward. But Heyward was placed on the injured reserve list after Week 1 (groin surgery) and likely won’t return for at least another month. That has allowed Benton to see more snaps, and he has earned every single one of them,” Mosher writes for The 33rd Team. “Benton is an up-the-field rusher who plays with incredible quickness and power. His biggest weakness is taking on double-teams, but the Steelers have put him in situations where he can use his athleticism and natural power and avoid combo blocks.
“Benton has already made several splash players for the Steelers, and it appears they’ve hit on another interior pass rusher. Benton has all the tools to be a star in Mike Tomlin’s defense, and his role should only grow as the season progresses.”
Though he had a relatively quiet offseason and training camp on a veteran defensive line that saw him have limited reps, Benton has emerged in recent weeks on the field where it matters most.
Benton broke out in his preseason debut against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a force against the run and then carried that over into the preseason matchups against the Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Falcons, pushing himself into some real snaps defensively.
Then, when Heyward went down early in the Week One matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, Benton was thrust into a larger role.
He’s taken the opportunity and run with it, even if the snaps remain somewhat limited. Since Week One in which he played 29 snaps, Benton has played 28 and 21 snaps in the last two weeks. That’s a clear dip in snaps, but it’s not because of his play.
When he’s on the field, he’s a force. Benton had a sack and a quarterback hit in the win in Week Three over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday Night Football. He also drew a big holding call and really gave the Raiders’ interior offensive line fits throughout the night.
Moving forward, he should see an uptick in snaps and once Heyward returns to the lineup should still have a decent role. He’s a bit overlooked, but he’s playing very well for the Black and Gold.
