Snap Counts: What Happened to Steelers DL Rotation?

By Alan Saunders

·Updated: November 15, 2023

The Pittsburgh Steelers defense makes a tackle against the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 12, 2023. -- Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

When Omar Khan, Andy Weidl and company set out to retool the Pittsburgh Steelers defense this offseason, it seemed pretty clear that they were building with a plan in mind.

They say the NFL is a copycat league, and what better mold to take for your team than that of the NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles — a team that Weidl had a hand in building in the first place.

The Eagles’ 2022 defensive front had abundant talent that came at opponents in waves. First-round pick Jordan Davis and former All-Pros Brandon Graham and Ndamukong Suh were all listed as second-teamers when the Eagles went to Super Bowl LVII.

For this year’s Steelers, you could see the same plan developing, with a top group of T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Cam Heyward and Larry Ogjunobi supplanted by a second unit of Markus Golden, Nate Herbig, Keeanu Benton and Montravius Adams.

Benton, Golden and Herbig were all acquisitions this offseason to bolster the front-line depth and give the Steelers a realistic second unit, as well as injury protection for their stars.

That’s the way the Steelers have been deploying their front seven this season, with some exceptions for injuries. But for whatever reason, that all went out the window last week against the Green Bay Packers.

The Steelers had 68 snaps of defense. T.J. Watt played 66, Alex Highsmith 63, Keeanu Benton 45, Larry Ogunjobi 44 and Cam Heyward 40. All of the rest of the Steelers’ defensive linemen and edge rushers played a combined 41 snaps. It’s not clear what the reason for the increased workload for the first team was, but it coincided with one of the Steelers’ least-productive day rushing the passer.

It’ll be interesting to monitor if this becomes a trend or is a one-game blip.

STEELERS OFFENSIVE SNAP COUNTS

Pos	Player	SF	CLE	LV	HOU	BAL	LAR	JAX	TEN	GB
QB	Kenny Pickett	63	54	62	49	66	59	28	65	65
QB	Mitch Trubisky	0	0	0	10	0	0	39	0	0
QB	Mason Rudolph	QB3	QB3	QB3	QB3	QB3	QB3	QB3	QB3	QB3
RB	Najee Harris	33	31	31	29	37	34	35	38	33
RB	Jaylen Warren	25	23	28	29	32	27	32	26	33
RB	Anthony McFarland	5	IR	IR	IR	IR	IR	IR	IR	1
RB	Qadree Ollison	—	0	1	—	—	—	—	—	—
RB	Godwin Igwebuike	—	—	INA	INA	INA	0	0	0	INA
WR	George Pickens	56	46	55	58	58	53	62	58	62
WR	Diontae Johnson	27	IR	IR	IR	IR	39	61	57	53
WR	Allen Robinson II	56	47	50	50	57	38	46	47	50
WR	Calvin Austin III	35	41	45	53	37	7	18	17	13
WR	Miles Boykin	5	4	8	6	12	0	5	6	9
WR	Gunner Olszewski	INA	1	INJ	INA	4	—	—	—	—
TE	Pat Freiermuth	32	41	49	30	INJ	IR	IR	IR	IR
TE	Darnell Washingon	24	26	29	25	46	31	10	32	33
TE	Connor Heyward	17	10	13	15	37	51	49	40	34
TE	Rodney Williams II	—	—	—	—	4	11	12	3	3
LT	Dan Moore Jr.	63	54	62	8	INJ	59	66	65	65
RT	Chukwuma Okorafor	59	54	62	59	66	59	67	0	1
LG	Issac Seumalo	63	54	62	59	66	59	67	65	65
RG	James Daniels	63	54	62	INJ	INJ	59	67	65	65
C	Mason Cole	63	54	62	59	66	59	67	65	65
OT	Broderick Jones	4	0	0	51	66	0	5	65	65
OT	Dylan Cook	INA	INA	INA	0	0	INA	INA	INA	INA
C/G	Nate Herbig	0	0	0	59	66	0	0	0	0
OL	Spencer Anderson	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0
OL	Ryan McCollum	—	—	—	—	0	—	—	—	—

STEELERS DEFENSIVE SNAP COUNTS

Pos	Player	SF	CLE	LV	HOU	BAL	LAR	JAX	TEN	GB
DT	Larry Ogunjobi	43	51	49	46	48	49	53	50	44
DT	Montravius Adams	34	52	47	41	56	46	49	2	INA
DE	DeMarvin Leal	26	39	33	21	INJ	23	14	24	4
NT	Keeanu Benton	29	28	21	29	33	19	30	48	45
DT	Armon Watts	INA	22	18	34	18	17	28	INA	22
DT	Isaiahh Loudermilk	31	14	9	13	13	0	9	14	8
DT	Cam Heyward	14	IR	IR	IR	IR	IR	IR	41	40
NT	Breiden Fehoko	—	INA	INA	INA	0	INA	INA	INA	INA
OLB	T.J. Watt	48	70	59	62	60	57	56	69	66
OLB	Alex Highsmith	49	68	52	63	61	53	63	63	63
OLB	Markus Golden	25	19	20	13	14	14	14	11	5
OLB	Nick Herbig	16	17	13	4	5	12	9	7	2
ILB	Cole Holcomb	53	78	53	63	64	56	64	16	IR
ILB	Kwon Alexander	47	52	47	27	31	47	38	64	9
ILB	Elandon Roberts	29	27	17	42	29	19	31	37	65
ILB	Mark Robinson	0	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	41
ILB	Tariq Carpenter	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	0
CB	Patrick Peterson	67	85	71	71	63	67	71	74	68
CB	Levi Wallace	67	78	67	71	66	49	INJ	38	27
CB	Joey Porter Jr.	7	14	27	10	28	53	59	70	68
CB	James Pierre	0	0	0	0	0	2	9	0	0
CB	Chandon Sullivan	13	47	18	21	24	22	28	16	19
CB	Darius Rush	—	—	—	—	—	INA	0	30	INA
CB	Desmond King	—	—	0	0	1	—	—	—	—
FS	Minkah Fitzpatrick	68	46	72	71	70	68	8	INA	INA
S	Damontae Kazee	49	77	53	34	43	58	67	74	68
SS	Keanu Neal	33	61	41	45	42	17	69	66	56
SS	Miles Killebrew	0	2	1	0	1	0	12	0	0
DB	Elijah Riley	0	10	0	0	0	0	0	0	21
S	Trenton Thompson	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	7