For the last couple years, former Steelers CB Ike Taylor has served, unofficially, as a scout for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is not listed as such on the team website, but he was spotted on the Pro Day trail on behalf of the team numerous times, and he has spoken about his scouting role during multiple podcast appearances. This means he was at least tangentially in on the conversations surrounding the Steelers’ last couple draft classes, and he expects big things from a trio of defensive players entering their second seasons in the NFL. Those players are DT Keeanu Benton, CB Joey Porter Jr. and OLB Nick Herbig.
“It’s just fun, it’s like being a proud dad,” Taylor said on the latest episode of Bleav in Steelers on Apple podcasts. “As a front office…you talk about these guys exclusively. You had a vision for them from year one, two, three, four, and everything is just kind of working itself out.”
All three players showed tons of promise in their rookie seasons in different capacities. Benton got the earliest looks along the defensive line with Cameron Heyward being out with his groin injury early in the season, but Porter was a full-time starter by Week 8 and Herbig made the most of the limited opportunities given to him. Both Benton and Porter should be Week 1 starters in 2024, and Herbig will be the primary backup to both T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith out on the edge. All three should see more playing time than they did as rookies.
The player that Taylor raved about the most was Benton.
“He’s a big kid at heart, but he’s a God dang dog when it comes down to being on the field,” Taylor said. “Sometimes we like to say, ‘he don’t know how good he can be.’ I think Keeanu really know how good he can be. But he works his ass off and try to be that good, whether it’s off or on the field. So I’m just a fan of him. I want to see him in his second year. See what he can do.”
Benton played 484 snaps as a rookie on defense, which was 43-percent of the team total, and he registered 36 total tackles, 16 solo tackles, 8 quarterback hits, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles and 2 passes defensed. Not the flashiest stats, but he doesn’t play the flashiest position at defensive tackle. Watching his tape, it was pretty clear that he was going to be a special player for the Steelers down the line.
Taylor didn’t elaborate as much on the other two players, but noted his excitement for Porter and Herbig as well.
If those three can make a jump in year two, they will help round out what could be one of the NFL’s very best defenses. Along with rookie ILB Payton Wilson, and the veteran additions of S DeShon Elliott, ILB Patrick Queen and CB Donte Jackson, the Steelers defense is the deepest and most complete it has been in quite some time.
Benton serves as the single beacon of hope for the future of the defensive line right now unless or until some of the other young players on rookie contracts can step up to join him.
