The dog days of summer have descended upon the NFL landscape. Things are going to get very, very quiet and slow as teams take a break before training camps open in mid-to-late July. Knowing that, I continue to roll along in my Ranking The Steelers’ Starters series, looking today at No. 15-13 in the series.
Below is the list of projected starters I am using for the series. The series features a two-tight end, 12-personnel set, and base package football defensively. That means just one running back, so I had to choose between Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren as the starter. I also ditched the three-CB look defensively to return to the traditional 3-4 scheme.
Therefore, that means you won’t see names like Cameron Sutton or Damontae Kazee defensively, but you will see Keeanu Benton this summer after not being included last summer.
This is the starting lineup that I believe will be rolled out in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons on the road.
*indicates players are already ranked in the series.
Offense
QB — Russell Wilson
RB — Najee Harris
WR — George Pickens
WR – Van Jefferson
TE — Pat Freiermuth
TE — Darnell Washington
LT — Dan Moore Jr.
LG — Isaac Seumalo
C — Zach Frazier
RG — James Daniels
RT – Broderick Jones
Defense
DE — Cameron Heyward
DE — Larry Ogunjobi
NT — Keeanu Benton
OLB — Alex Highsmith
ILB — Elandon Roberts
ILB — Patrick Queen
OLB — T.J. Watt
CB — Joey Porter Jr.
CB — Donte Jackson
S — Minkah Fitzpatrick
S — DeShon Elliott
Specialists
K – Chris Boswell
P — Cameron Johnston
Here is how the rankings look so far:
No. 24 — Dan Moore Jr., LT
No. 23 — Darnell Washington, TE
No. 22 — Van Jefferson, WR
No. 21 — Zach Frazier, C
No. 20 — Larry Ogunjobi, DE
No. 19 — Cameron Johnston, PÂ
No. 18 — Donte Jackson, CB
No. 17 — Elandon Roberts, ILB
No. 16 — Broderick Jones, RT
Steelers’ Starters: No. 24-22
Steelers’ Starters: No. 21-19
Steelers’ Starters: No. 18-16
Without further ado, let’s dive into the latest installment of the Ranking The Steelers’ Starters series here at Steelers Depot, looking at No. 15-13.
No. 15 — Keeanu Benton, NT
During his rookie season in 2023, Benton flashed quite a bit for the Steelers, turning some heads in the process. Though he played in just 483 snaps, he looked like a future building block for the Black and Gold along the defensive line and could be a foundational piece for the Steelers moving forward.
As a rookie, Benton finished with a 74.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. He graded out at 57.4 against the run but had a sparkling 80.0 as a pass rusher.
Benton generated 22 pressures on the year and flashed an impressive club/swim move that allowed him to win time and time again on the interior. He also had an impressive bull rush, displaying the eye-opening power that was his calling card at Wisconsin.
Entering Year 2, Benton is expected to take on an even larger role for the Steelers and become that true impact defender while remaining at nose tackle. Expectations are sky-high for the second-year player, and if he continues to develop at the rapid pace he showed as a rookie, he’ll be much higher on this list next summer as that true foundational piece.
No. 14 — James Daniels, RG
Last summer, entering the 2023 season, Daniels came in at No. 5 on this list. In hindsight, that was much too high. Now, Daniels lands at No. 14 while coming off a tough 2023 season for the Steelers.
That slide to No. 14 coincides with his struggles on the field and with the Steelers adding serious talent to the roster.
Last season at right guard, Daniels’ grade from Pro Football Focus on the year was just 62.0 overall. That PFF grade includes a 59.9 in pass protection and a 60.4 as a run blocker. The Steelers had a lot of issues at right tackle with Chukwuma Okorafor and Broderick Jones, which made it a heavy lift for Daniels playing between a new face in Jones at right tackle and a struggling center in Mason Cole to his left.
Daniels allowed 22 pressures and one sack on the season and was called for just three penalties. But down the stretch, he really struggled in pass protection, as he had to try to help Jones as much as possible. Daniels graded out at a 0.0 from PFF against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15, a career worst.
His grades across the board from PFF are career worsts, but they don’t exactly align with the play. He was good in the run game, utilizing his athleticism to pull and get to the second level to create running lanes, and his work in pass protection was a bit better than the PFF numbers might suggest.
Still, he needs a big bounceback in 2024, a contract year for the veteran guard.
No. 13 — DeShon Elliott, S
Quietly, DeShon Elliott is one of the most overlooked, underappreciated moves that the Steelers made this offseason. In his career, Elliott has been a dependable player.
So far, he has played 3,174 snaps, including three seasons of 850 or more snaps and two straight years above 850 snaps.
Last season with the Miami Dolphins, Elliott played 926 snaps, grading out at 72.6 overall, including a career-high 87.3 against the run. That bodes well for him in Pittsburgh, as he is slotted to be a box safety.
However, he can do it all and has shown that in his career. That versatility is a huge part of his game and a big reason why the Steelers went after him quickly in free agency.
After having issues at the safety position last season, forcing Minkah Fitzpatrick to play more in the box and help out against the run, hindering his ability to impact games, the Steelers are expecting Elliott to fix that issue. This will give Pittsburgh a three-headed monster at safety with Fitzpatrick and Kazee.
Steelers fans will love the physicality and intensity Elliott brings to the table.
