The Pittsburgh Steelers recently played their first preseason game of the 2023 season. The change in 2021 from four preseason games to three, altered the way teams utilize the preseason and how veteran and rookie players are used. For Steelers fans, it has been amplified because of the anticipation surrounding our outstanding rookie class of 2023.
Pittsburgh met the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa for their first exhibition match-up last Friday. While some of the young veterans like Kenny Pickett and George Pickens saw a few plays, the majority of the seasoned vets saw little to no action. That was all fine with fans because their attention was focused on the rookies.
With all the talk regarding the Steelers having one of the best drafts in their history, this isn't surprising. It seemed during every round, the Steelers were able to make strategic moves that got the players we wanted and needed. While it is too early to call it a total success, draft busts are a real thing, it looks very promising.
Two rookies that people are excited about are Keeanu Benton, out of the University of Wisconsin (drafted by the Steelers with their second pick in the second round, 49th overall), and Nick Herbig (a fourth-round outside linebacker who also played at Wisconsin).
Pittsburgh loves defenders from Wisconsin. They have said that their systems match up nicely and the players come more prepared to meet the pro expectations, T.J. Watt being a prime example. They also love brothers and bloodlines (see Watt again), which Herbig also brings. His older brother, Nate Herbig, a five-year veteran offensive guard was picked up by Pittsburgh during the 2023 offseason.
Now another new Steelers player poised to make an immediate impact talked about how impressed he was by these two young players during the first preseason game. Patrick Peterson, a cornerback, who is entering his 13th season in the NFL also hosts a podcast. The show called All Things Covered is co-hosted by Peterson's cousin and former Steelers cornerback, Bryant McFadden.
Praise For Steelers' Nick Herbig and Keeanu Benton
Despite having been at training camp himself, Peterson has continued to film his show each week. He offers insights on how players are developing, especially regarding some of the younger guys. He was asked after the Tampa Bay game how he felt about what he saw on both sides of the ball.
Peterson said that first and foremost, the defenders that work the line are so talented, they make life a lot easier for the guys who have to work the secondary. While he was clear there is still lots that has to be worked on, he was very excited by the energy Herbig and Benton brought to the game. He believes they will be ready to help take the load off of some of the veterans as the season starts.
"Keeanu Benton? Oooohhhh boy, he was causing some hell," marveled McFadden.
They both agreed that Benton and Herbig far exceeded expectations. McFadden adds that it is unusual to see two rookie players appear to be ready to make major contributions in Week 1. He added that Benton's performance blew him away.
"He got up over that center and was doing the work. I knew he's a run stuffer, but seeing him in his pass protection as well, his passing rushing ability that really surprised me. And then with Nick, Nick ooohhhweee," McFadden said in awe.
Herbig impressed a lot of people during the brief amount of playing time he saw in Tampa. He played only 13 snaps and still got a sack and a half. He said after the game he was just trying to do his job and contribute. He has big shoes to fill when it comes to backing up Alex Highsmith and Watt, and he knows it. Peterson noted that he thought it was crazy when Herbig played only 11 snaps, he noted he couldn't remember the exact number.
"Those 11 snaps made it feel like I was watching him play 30 snaps because he was always around the ball," said McFadden. "That 11 snaps might have been one of the more impactful, every snap was beautiful."
Peterson shared that he got a glimpse of the genius of Head Coach Mike Tomlin, who got those two pumped up. He said he can't share specifics, but he knows why he is such a highly respected and successful coach. The veteran corner has played for a lot of great coaches and he said Tomlin helps players understand their specific role first and then gets them fired up.
"Nick was getting it. There were a lot of positive things that happened, but those are two guys I wanna highlight because Nick and Benton, they look like were some vets going against some rookies."
McFadden corrects their earlier number of snaps for Herbig to 13, but noted it still felt like 30. Both vets said they can't wait to see what is next for these two. They see these rookies embodying what Coach Tomlin always says, "making routine plays routinely."
"If they can do that, we're going to be in a good position because when you get young guys that look like they can be day one contributors, that's when you're cooking with gas. Because depth is important and there's a lot of youth on this team that I believe are going to be playing like vets," said McFadden.
This rookie class is certainly showing up early in the preseason. It leaves fans wondering if some of those positional battles might be closer than expected. Regardless of how those battles shake out, the Steelers still win. Exceptional depth is something the team hasn't had a lot of in recent years. While Highsmith did a fantastic job of holding down the outside while Watt was hurt in game one in 2022, not having strong backups definitely hurt the team's progress.
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