With four games left in the 2023 regular season, the Pittsburgh Steelers are in a position now where they may need to run the table after dropping two-straight games in a span of five days this past week. Should Pittsburgh miss the playoffs and see their season come to an end after their Week 18 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, the team will likely announce the winner of the Joe Green Great Performance Award shortly after the regular season comes to a close.
The Joe Greene Great Performance Award is presented annually by Pittsburgh Chapter of Pro Football Writers of America to the Steelers top rookie. The award has been given out since 1984 starting with WR Louis Lipps and with the most recent recipient of the award being QB Kenny Pickett last season. As we sit here today, there are three candidates that can make a legit case for the award as Pittsburgh’s top rookie. OT Broderick Jones, CB Joey Porter Jr., and DL Keeanu Benton were Pittsburgh’s first three picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, and all three have made a notable impact thus far in their respective first seasons with the Steelers.
Jones was Pittsburgh’s first round pick last April, having the team covet him so much that they traded up in the first round to select him at 14th overall. Jones opened the season as a backup to both LT Dan Moore Jr. and RT Chukwuma Okorafor as Pittsburgh opted to roll with their veterans and ease Jones into the lineup. He got his first extended action in Week Four against the Houston Texans when Moore went down with a knee injury and started the next week against the Baltimore Ravens at left tackle.
Jones went back to the bench when Moore was healthy, but got inserted back into the starting lineup at right tackle after Okorafor got benched following the Jaguars game, having started there ever since. According to Pro Football Focus, Jones has accounted for two penalties and allowed one sack on the season in 515 snaps, posting a 65.2 overall grade based on their metrics.
Porter has also started seven games this season like Jones, being held behind CBs Patrick Peterson and Levi Wallace to start the season, coming in only in Pittsburgh’s dime defense. He saw his role slowly grow over the course of the year, getting his first true start against the Jaguars in Week Eight. Porter has quickly become Pittsburgh’s top cover corner on the outside, matching up with the opposing team’s WR1 on a weekly basis, seeing the likes of Amari Cooper, Ja’Marr Chase, and DeAndre Hopkins on most of his snaps in recent weeks.
Porter has held his own, posting 37 total tackles, one tackle for loss, seven pass deflections, and one interception. According to Pro Football Reference, Porter has allowed a completion percentage of 50%, surrendering 327 yards and one touchdown in coverage this season. He’s made clutch plays late in games including a pivotal pass breakup in Week Two against the Cleveland Browns as well as snagging a key interception against the Ravens in Week Five to keep Pittsburgh in the game late in the fourth quarter.
Benton was Pittsburgh’s second second-round pick last spring, following Porter as a much-needed injection of youth and talent on the defensive line. Benton got eased in slowly like Porter, having played 385 defensive snaps thus far on the season (43%). He stated out mainly playing as Pittsburgh’s backup nose tackle behind Montravius Adams, but has seen his role increase to playing in subpackages as well. Benton currently has 31 total stops, one tackle for loss, six quarterback hits, a sack, two forced fumbles, and two pass deflections on the season. His impact goes far beyond the stat sheet though, being a disruptive force that clogs running lanes while handling interior blockers while flashing his prowess as a pass rusher, getting pressure on the quarterback with his blend of power and athleticism as a dancing bear at the position.
So, who should be the favorite to win the Joe Green Great Performance Award as we sit here today? All three players have a legitimate argument, having made an impact as building blocks for this franchise for years to come. If I had to guess though, my pick would be Joey Porter Jr. given the fact that he plays more of a flashy position at cornerback compared to playing on the offensive or defensive line. He’s quickly ascended to be Pittsburgh’s top cover corner, shadowing the opposing team’s #1 wide receiver nearly on a weekly basis. He also has the pedigree and his father’s legacy going for him as well which should only help his case.
We still have four more weeks to play, but the race for the title of Pittsburgh’s top rookie is heating up as we come close to the finish line. So, who will win the award? Feel free to leave your guess at our poll on Twitter as well as comment below.
