Steelers Snap Counts: What Will It Take for Keeanu Benton to Get a Bigger Role?

Alan Saunders |

Oct 9, 2023

Steelers NT Keeanu Benton — Pittsburgh Steelers nose tackle Keeanu Benton against the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 18, 2023. -- Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

PITTSBURGH — Rookie defensive lineman Keeanu Benton earned the first start of his career for the Pittsburgh Steelers in their 17-10 win Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, and played a career high in snaps in the game, but still has a long way to go to match the top players on the team as his position.

Benton played 33 snaps against the Ravens after playing a then-career high of 29 snaps against the Houston Texans in Week 4. The rookie has progressively gotten more and more playing time on the defensive line that has seen both Cam Heyward and DeMarvin Leal miss time with injury.

Starting the season by just playing nose tackle, Benton has showed increased versatility, as well. Pro Football Focus charted Benton as playing 13 snaps as a four-technique or outside against the Ravens after playing just two snaps of defensive end in his previous four games combined.

The Steelers don’t seem afraid of giving Benton a larger and larger role, and Teryl Austin was insistent on Thursday that he could handle a bigger workload.

“He absolutely has the gas tank to do it,’ Austin said.”That was one of the more impressive things watching him on college tape as a 300-plus-pounder where he would play over 80 percent of the snaps, and he played hard and he ran hard the entire time. So, I don’t worry about his conditioning. I think he’s obviously grown as a young player, and he’s gotten more snaps, and he’s gotten better as he’s gotten more snaps. I anticipate his role growing as well.”

So what’s the hold up in getting Benton closer to his defensive line compatriots Larry Ogunjobi (48 snaps vs. Ravens) and Montravius Adams (56 snaps vs. Ravens)?

“I’ve been really transparent about the inclusion of all the rookies,” head coach Mike Tomlin said. “Oftentimes we start with a good foundational plan in terms of how they participate, and we grow from there.”

Benton has been bumped up in playing time. He’s been given more responsibility than just nose tackle. It seems that the plan Tomlin has in place calls for a gradual and incremental approach to more playing time for his young players.

STEELERS OFFENSIVE SNAP COUNTS

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

STEELERS DEFENSIVE SNAP COUNTS

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