It was no secret that rookie second-round pick Keeanu Benton was going to have a role for the Pittsburgh Steelers right away entering the 2023 season.
That role was expected to be limited, at least early on. Due to injuries though to names like star defensive lineman Cameron Heyward and second-year pro DeMarvin Leal, as well as with veteran Larry Ogunjobi banged up entering the season opener at Acrisure Stadium against the San Francisco 49ers, Benton was pushed into a larger role.
Credit to the rookie, too: he embraced the larger role and played quite well in 29 snaps, grading out as the second-highest graded rookie from Pro Football Focus in Week One.
Benton’s 86.1 overall grade was just behind Philadelphia’s Jalen Carter at 92.1 in Week One among the rookie class of 2023.
“The Wisconsin product showed his run-stuffing ability in Week 1 against the Niners, earning a positive grade on over 11.8% of his run-defense snaps. And perhaps more impressively for a rookie, he earned no negative grades on those snaps,” PFF’s Mason Cameron writes. “Not only did Benton earn the second-highest grade among rookies in Week 1, but he was also the Steelers’ second highest-graded player, behind only T.J. Watt (94.4).”
Benton was fantastic in his 29 snaps. His 86.1 overall grade included a strong 72.0 against the run and a surprising 82.9 as a pass rusher, which wasn’t exactly his strong suit coming out of Wisconsin. On top of his good grades, Benton totaled one pressure in the loss and had three tackles against the run. He was one of the few bright spots defensively.
With a larger role on Sunday due to injuries ahead of him, Benton hit the ground running in the regular season, carrying over his impressive performances from the preseason. Against the likes of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons in the preseason, Benton was an intriguing piece.
He dominated against the Buccaneers’ starting offensive line and then put some good plays on film against the Falcons in limited snaps. Though the transition from the preseason to the regular season can be a tough one for young players, it was seamless for Benton, who played very well against a strong San Francisco offensive line.
Benton is going to have to continue to grow up in a hurry with the injury to Heyward. Based on his play Sunday against the 49ers, there should be no real concerns or questions with Benton moving forward, at least initially. He looks the part and appears ready to embrace a larger role up front for the Black and Gold.
