With two picks in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers scooped up Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr. at No. 32 overall and Wisconsin DL Keeanu Benton at No. 49 overall. Through eight games, both picks look like home-run selections, as Porter has been the best corner on the team while Benton has been very solid in his role as a rotational defensive lineman. Their performance thus far in 2023 has been good enough for them to be named to the midseason All-Rookie team by The Athletic.
Benton was one of three defensive linemen selected, along with Philadelphia Eagles DL Jalen Carter and New Orleans Saints DL Bryan Bresee.
“Benton, meanwhile, saw a spike in his snap count last week — he logged two tackles and three pressures in 44 plays. The overall numbers aren’t gaudy (13 total pressures and one tackle for loss), but he’s proved an agile mover against zone-blocking schemes and just enough of an anchor against the run,” Diante Lee wrote.
Benton’s performance against the Titans, alongside DL Cameron Heyward, was one of his best of the season. While his Pro Football Focus grade was one of his lowest of the season at 57.1, he made a clear impact that goes beyond the box score.
All season, Benton has been a really talented piece for the Steelers on their defensive line, and with Heyward missing six games, Benton was able to at least help hold down the fort and help Pittsburgh’s defensive line not completely collapse without its leader. It’s a pick that’s already paying early dividends, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Benton have a long and successful career as another great defensive lineman in a long history of them for Pittsburgh.
As for Porter, while he struggled to see the field early, mostly just playing as the Steelers’ dime corner, he got a bigger role in Week Five against the Baltimore Ravens, had an interception, and hasn’t looked back since. Porter has become a lockdown corner for the Steelers.
He was one of three corners selected to the Athletic All-Rookie team, along with Emmanuel Forbes and Devon Witherspoon, both of whom went in the first round. Dane Brugler cites Porter’s very low 28.6 reception rate when targeted as a reason to put him on this list, but you could pull really any of Porter’s stats in coverage for justification of putting him there. He has the second-best QB rating against in the NFL, and he helped shut down Tennessee Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins last Thursday night. Porter looks to be a good bet to break the trend of Pittsburgh struggling to draft and develop young cornerbacks.
