When Cameron Heyward went down with a groin injury early in the Week One loss to the San Francisco 49ers, which ultimately landed him on Injured Reserve, there was great concern for the Steelers from a production standpoint along the defensive line.
Of course, there is no replacing a player like Heyward. However, the injury created an opportunity for rookie second-round defensive lineman Keeanu Benton. The Wisconsin product has seized upon the opportunity and run with it.
On Sunday night in Las Vegas, Benton recorded his first career sack and really gave the Las Vegas Raiders’ offensive line serious fits inside. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is liking what he’s seeing from Benton while taking advantage of the opportunity.
“It’s not what he has done. Sometimes, it’s just what’s happening around him. The lack of Cam Hayward has created more opportunity. With that opportunity he’s gaining experience and getting better,” Tomlin said to reporters Tuesday during his weekly press conference, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube page. “And so, it’s reasonable to expect him to get better with reps and it’s reasonable to expect him to have that mentality to see one man’s misfortune as an opportunity for growth and development and playmaking in another. And that’s what team is about.”
Benton has certainly taken advantage of the opportunity for more playing time with Heyward on the mend.
In his first three games of the season, Benton has played 78 total snaps, 37 snaps against the run and 41 snaps rushing the passer.
In those 78 snaps, Benton has graded out at a 73.7 overall defensively along with a 53.4 run defense grade and an 87.0 pass rush grade.
Outside of an up-and-down showing against the Cleveland Browns in Week Two, which significantly hindered his grades across the board, Benton has been quite good. He’s generated four pressures and three run stops, according to Pro Football Focus, and is pushing for more playing time.
Oddly enough though, despite playing quite well, Benton has seen a decrease in snaps the last three weeks, playing 29 in Week One, 28 in Week Two and just 21 on Sunday night in Las Vegas.
That’s certainly eye-opening, but he’s taking advantage of the opportunity and putting good tape out there. As Tomlin stated, that’s reasonable to expect from a young player gaining more experience. We’ll see how he continues to progress in the weeks ahead, and what his role looks like once Heyward returns.
