Keeanu Benton has been the focus of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense and not for favorable reasons. The nose tackle of a leaky run defense, Benton’s received rightful criticism for struggling to take on blockers and free up linebackers. The hot button question is if – or when – someone else eats into his snap count. Yahya Black is the popular name, 330 pounds, and impressive since Day One. Veteran Daniel Ekuale is a capable plugger, holding his own in Sunday’s win over the New England Patriots. Those questions and replacements are valid, but they miss a bigger point.
The larger threat to Benton’s snap count isn’t either of those guys. It’s Derrick Harmon. Not at nose tackle but a starter in the Steelers’ sub-packages.
Through three games, including Harmon’s debut, Benton has been playing heavy nickel snaps. Per our charting, here’s the distribution of non-base snaps.
| Player | Non-Base Snap % |
|---|---|
| Cam Heyward | 72.9% |
| Keeanu Benton | 68.8% |
| Yahya Black | 18.8% |
| Daniel Ekuale | 15.6% |
| Derrick Harmon | 13.5% |
| Isaiahh Loudermilk | 7.3% |
| Logan Lee | 1.0% |
Heyward and Benton have dominated the snap count. But one game in and even accounting for the two he missed, Harmon isn’t far behind Black and Ekuale on that list. In the Patriots game alone, Harmon logged 36.1-percent of the sub-package reps. More than everyone except Heyward and Benton, who each registered 72.2-percent.
Missing a month due to an MCL sprain, Harmon had some sort of snap count. But his 35 snaps were probably more than expected, in part because they were needed on a day where New England had the ball for 71 snaps (despite five turnovers, still a mind-blowing stat). Coaches praised Harmon for his play and conditioning, a sign he will ramp up in a hurry.
So what’s the split going forward? Heyward’s reps may come down a bit as Pittsburgh wants to keep a 36-year-old defensive tackle fresh for a tough stretch run at the end of the year. But Benton won’t stay at nearly 70 percent. Harmon is going to eat into those reps. He’s the first-rounder. He’s bigger, he’s stronger, he (in limited work) seems more stout against the run.
There is a valid debate about Benton playing nose tackle in the Steelers’ base front. If a change occurs there, it’s much more likely to be Ekuale than Black. Pittsburgh likes Black at defensive end, and they need depth there. There’s little behind Harmon and Heyward, especially now that Loudermilk is on IR. Even when he returns, Black is the better option.
Pittsburgh’s been in its base 3-4 defense more than usual. All of its groupings combined, it’s been used more than sub-package. That probably won’t continue all season. The nickel snaps will make up the majority. Harmon will chew into Benton’s reps, and soon enough, Heyward and Harmon will serve as the team’s starting defensive linemen.
