Steelers Rookie Has Career off to Impressive Start

The Steelers are seeing much growth from their rookies to start the year. Joey Porter Jr. is the most high-profile player who has hit the ground running and is now set to play more against the Rams. But another player starting to mature into his own is defensive tackle Keeanu Benton. Head coach Mike Tomlin praised Benton on Tuesday for his readiness to step up when Cam Heyward got injured. Now, it appears that Benton is in line to get more snaps as he climbs up that totem pole.

“Again, that’s a young guy that’s utilizing all his avenues to get better,” Tomlin said. “The opportunity avenue has been increased for him because of Cam Heyward’s injury. And I think with more exposure, he’s playing more consistently and getting more comfortable. And so, I’m excited about the continued trajectory of that.”

Benton is second among rookie defensive linemen with a 78.3 PFF grade through his first five games. That’s an impressive benchmark, and it’s the best mark along the entire Steelers defensive line to this point. What makes him so effective? Benton’s build and the usage of his club-swim move, which he loves, gives him a fantastic base to work off in both run defense and the pass rush game.

He is what they thought he was a fantastic athlete who can play up and down the line. While he started just at nose tackle, in recent weeks, Benton has played out to as far as a 5-technique. The team is giving him more opportunities to showcase himself.

“He showed that he’s kind of what we thought,” defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said. “He’s really powerful. He moves well. The things that he’s going to be inexperienced on are the blocking schemes coming at him, how those things affect him and how he should play it. But I like him. I think he can play multiple positions along the line,”

Benton has the Steelers’ eye, and Austin confirmed that. His heavy hands and burst off the line make him an intriguing player. Benton seemed ready to step up right away following Heyward’s injury. While he may not be the only player to step up in Heyward’s absence, Benton’s been the most impressive. It looks like the Steelers have something in the outstanding rookie.