The Pittsburgh Steelers have lacked urgency in getting their rookies involved during the 2023 season. Even though a number of them have played a fair amount, some even extensively on occasion, none of them formally own a starting job entering Week Seven.
That includes second-round DL Keeanu Benton, who, as head coach Mike Tomlin repeatedly stresses, is only occupying his current role because of the injury suffered by Cameron Heyward in the season opener. The perennial Pro Bowler’s groin injury has allowed Benton to play more, perhaps considerably so, than he would have otherwise. But he’s taken advantage of it.
“That’s a young guy that’s utilizing all his avenues to getting better”, Tomlin said Tuesday during his weekly press conference, via the team’s website. “The opportunity avenue has been increased for him because of Cam Heyward’s injury and I think with more exposure he’s playing more consistent and getting more comfortable. I’m excited about the continued trajectory of that”.
Through five games, Benton has logged 140 defensive snaps, about 38 percent of the defensive total. His workload has been pretty consistent during that run, logging over 20 snaps in every game. He topped the 30-snap mark for the first time in the final game before the bye week, logging 33 snaps against the Baltimore Ravens.
Now, it is worth noting that that also represented nearly a 50-percent share of the defensive total for that game. The Steelers did begin using Benton in some 3-4 base looks as a defensive end, with Montravius Adams serving as nose tackle, so they haven’t been entirely idle in exploring and expanding his usage.
With it all, he has registered 13 tackles on the season, including seven over the past two games, with one tackle for loss. He has one sack and two quarterback hits, as well as a forced fumble, and has been one of the highest-graded rookie defensive linemen in the NFL so far this year.
While he still has room to grow, particularly with respect to playing with more discipline within the framework of a defensive scheme, there is no question that Benton has flashed significant physical and athletic talent.
But it’s fair to question what Tomlin will do when Heyward returns, whenever that might be. There is Larry Ogunjobi on the other side already. Will Benton replace Adams as the starting nose tackle? Will he also be the primary rotational defensive end?
Lest we forget, the Steelers are also presumably seeking more opportunities for DeMarvin Leal, the second-year former third-round draft pick who himself has played 119 snaps this year. He did miss the team’s last game due to a concussion, which played a role in Benton’s expanded assignment in that game.
Yet if we look at which players are actually performing at the highest level, the majority conclusion would surely be that it’s Benton who needs to play more based on what he’s been doing. Yes, he’s gotten the opportunity to play more than he might have otherwise due to injury. But that was just a foot in the door. All he’s done is prove that he is qualified to man those snaps on a more permanent basis.
