As the Pittsburgh Steelers turn to their Week 13 matchup against the struggling Arizona Cardinals, a red hot rookie looks to continue his great first-year campaign. Keeanu Benton has been on a complete tear so far to begin his first ever NFL season, and recently he gave praise to a familiar face, teammate Isaiahh Loudermilk. Benton praised Loudermilk for allowing him to gain his confidence during their time together at Wisconsin.
Recently, Benton sat down to talk with TheDraftNetwork (X: @TheDraftNetwork). During his appearance, he was asked how he was able to trust his game and believe he was good enough. Benton then revealed he actually gained his confidence during his time in college, due to Loudermilk.
"Isaiahh Loudermilk helped me transform myself at Wisconsin. My confidence wasn't high. Loudermilk set time aside to help me understand the playbook. He didn't have to do that for me. I thank him."
Luckily for the both of them, they were reunited when the Steelers decided to draft Benton in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Being able to have that mentor in Loudermilk still available to Benton is huge in how fast the rookie is able to adjust to the NFL. So far, Benton is adjusting just fine.
As we enter the final stretch of the 2023 season, Benton has begun to see more reps due to the injury of Montravius Adams. So far, the rookie hasn't disappointed. Since Adams suffered his ankle injury (has missed every game since going down early in the Week 9 matchup against the Tennessee Titans), Benton has been superb. Since Week 9, the rookie has racked up 12 total tackles, as well as a pass deflection. His best game of his career so far was the first game following Adams' ankle injury when the Steelers faced off against the Green Bay Packers in Week 10. Benton would rack up six total tackles, two quarterback hits, as well as a pass deflection.
Following the Week 10 victory, it was clear the Steelers have found yet another soon to be great nose tackle. Don't be surprised to see more of the rookie Benton to finish out the season, even after Adams comes back from injury. Benton has shown he has what it takes to be a franchise player on the defensive front.
Steelers Defense Continues To Shine Despite Multiple Key Injuries
The Steelers have lost key defenders throughout the season. Some more serious than others, like linebackers Kwon Alexander and Cole Holcomb who both suffered season-ending injuries. This would lead the linebacker depth to be absolutely depleted. Now in the secondary, the Steelers recently just placed safety Keanu Neal on the injured reserve list, meaning he will miss at least four games. Meanwhile the Steelers have been without superstar free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick since Week 8.
Despite all of these key injuries, the defense has surprisingly still been able to hold their own. So far, the Steelers still hold the best turnover differential (+11). The Steelers have made new transactions since these notable injuries, including linebacker Mykal Walker, safety Trenton Thompson, and linebacker Blake Martinez.
For Thompson and Walker, they have already begun making a difference on the field. Thompson, being the most impressive based off of his journey to the Steelers. He came into the league as a undrafted free agent in 2022 by the New York Giants. Since joining the Steelers, Thompson has already made a great impression. racking up three pass deflections and his first career interception last week. It will be interesting going forward how the Steelers use Thompson, as the young safety seems to be a diamond in the rough.
Can the young rookie Benton be the next franchise answer at the nose tackle position? And can Thompson work his way to being a year in, year out player for the Steelers? Leave your thoughts down below in the comments.
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