Halicke: Rookie class gave defense much needed infusion of youth

We've still got a ways to go before the NFL Draft gets here, but that isn't stopping the Steelers from doing countless hours of work preparing for it. Yes, they've got other items on the agenda such as finalizing their coaching staff and free agency. 

But, this franchise knows the draft is the place to build winners. The Steelers' 2023 rookie class can be recent proof of that.

After a few lackluster draft classes, early returns on the 2023 draft class are very, very promising. Not only was it a good indication that, if it weren't for Cory Trice Jr.'s season-ending knee injury, all of the Steelers' selections in the 2023 NFL Draft would have made the 53-man roster out of training camp. That's an accomplishment in and of itself.

However, the actual play of three rookies on the defensive side of the ball has given the Steelers a much needed influx of youth. Based off of what these players did in their first lap around the track, as Mike Tomlin likes to say, the Steelers have potential core players at multiple positions. Any draft class that can produce that is an automatic winner. But, there's no mistaking that the defense is getting older. This team desperately needed young players to come in and claim key spots. That's exactly what happened in 2023.

Let's take a closer look at how Joey Porter Jr., Keeanu Benton and Nick Herbig all contributed to the 2023 team, and why there's so much promise for this class heading into 2024. Don't worry, we'll take a look back at Broderick Jones and Darnell Washington eventually. Those two can also be key players moving forward, especially in Arthur Smith's offense. But, for time's sake, we'll dive deep into the rookies on the defensive side.

JOEY PORTER JR.

While Jones had a very promising rookie season and got a lot of the attention due to being the first-round pick, Porter was the star of the class in 2023. He's very well earned the right to be a finalist for the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award. He won't win, but his play deserves nationwide recognition.

Coming out of college, Porter's two greatest traits were his physicality in press coverage and superb length. Like his father was during his NFL career, Porter is a very physical and very aggressive player, which is great for a press coverage cornerback. And with 34-inch arms -- a great length for an offensive lineman, much less a cornerback -- and 6-foot-2 frame, he has extremely rare length that allows him to make up for lost room when the receiver he's covering gets a little separation.

At the same time, Porter had a few issues that were a concern to teams, but two may help explain why he fell completely out of the first round of the draft. First, with the aggressiveness and physicality came penalties. Porter was too "handsy" or "grabby" in college, and was penalized 10 times during his final season at Penn State. That carried over into his rookie campaign, drawing 12 penalties.

Also, Porter's tackling was a major concern, and that was confirmed in the first half of the season. Despite not even being a starter through the team's first six games, Porter missed four of 11 tackle opportunities, a 36.4 missed tackle percentage. One rep against the Titans really showcased how much Porter could struggle with tackling down the stretch:

However, Porter immediately blossomed in coverage, especially when given opportunities to line up in press coverage. Porter not only knows how to use his length to his advantage, but is smart and patient in press coverage:

Here's a rep against Calvin Ridley, a very shifty receiver. Porter doesn't bite on any jab steps or head fakes, but stays over the top of Ridley all the way. He didn't have to use his physicality or length here. Reps like these are proof of a foundation of smart play in coverage. Porter doesn't exclusively rely on his physicality and length. That's a huge thing to see in a rookie.

But, it's good to see him use his length in ways other than jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage:

Here's a rep against DeAndre Hopkins. Nothing overly physical here. He's even off the ball at the snap. Porter's just running with Hopkins, staying in his hip pocket and forces Will Levis -- who was looking at Hopkins as his first read here -- to hold onto the ball longer than he wanted to, and T.J. Watt ends up with a red zone sack. With Porter's length, Hopkins is covered.

By season's end, Porter played a total of 535 coverage snaps and was targeted only 53 times, which is 10.1 snaps per target. In other words, quarterbacks weren't throwing in his direction, even though Porter earned the right to follow around the opponent's top receiver a vast majority of the time. On those 53 targets, Porter allowed 24 catches, 45.3% of the targets, for 352 yards and one touchdown. And, quarterbacks posted a 65.9 passer rating when targeting Porter. 

Want to understand the significance of these numbers? In Sauce Gardner's rookie year -- a year in which Gardner won Defensive Rookie of the Year for three different news outlets, was named first team All-Pro and finished eighth in Defensive Player of the Year voting -- he played 642 coverage snaps and was targeted 73 times (8.8 snaps per target), allowing 33 catches for 361 yards and one touchdown. That's 45.2% of the targets that were caught, an almost identical number to Porter's. Gardner had two interceptions (Porter only had one), which helped Gardner post a ridiculous 53.5 passer rating against when targeted.

Porter's numbers weren't quite as good as Gardner's. The Jets' star cornerback not only had one more interception, he had 14 pass breakups while Porter only had six. But, Porter was very much in the same ballpark as Gardner. And, as for the tackling issues, Porter missed only 5.6% of his tackle opportunities from the time he became a starter in Week 8 through the end of the season.

And, just for the record, Porter's emergence as a shutdown cornerback in his rookie season negates any concern about too many penalties. If he takes away the opposing team's No. 1 receiver week in and week out, any team in the league will take an extra penalty or two. Shutdown cornerbacks don't grow on trees.

KEEANU BENTON

Unlike Porter, Benton was thrust into a more prominent role early out of need. Cam Heyward's groin injury in the season opener against the 49ers paved the way for the Steelers' other second-round pick in the 2023 draft to make an impression. And, man, did he ever.

During his career at Wisconsin, Benton wasn't a prototypical nose tackle. He measured 6-4 and weighed 309 pounds at the NFL Combine, and was known more for his pass rushing ability more than eating up space inside against the run. That skill set shined during his Senior Bowl week, and perhaps elevated his draft stock in the process.

Heading into the draft, Benton was known for having strong hands to club blockers and a high motor to win blocks, even when he's initially beaten. During the Senior Bowl, he also displayed eye-popping acceleration off the line, especially in pass rushing reps. Benton recorded his first career sack in Week 3 against the Raiders, and the rookie did a phenomenal job in putting all of this together in one very impressive rep:

Benton is quick off the line, and simultaneously makes a nice move to get from the center's right shoulder over to the left shoulder and finishes him off with a deadly swim move -- all of that into one explosive, violent move. Then, Benton accelerates to the backfield and closes in fast on Jimmy Garoppolo for the sack.

Now, that was Benton's only sack of the season, but that doesn't mean he wasn't a contributor in the Steelers' pass rush. Benton recorded 14 hurries, seven quarterback hits and two passes batted down at the line of scrimmage. While comparing those numbers to the likes of teammate Larry Ogunjobi, they don't seem significant as Ogunjobi posted three sacks, 27 hurries, five quarterback hits and two passes batted down. However, Benton recorded his numbers while playing 198 fewer pass rush snaps. And, even for the analytic nerds that hold Pro Football Focus' pass rush win rate in such high esteem, Benton had won 10.5% of his pass rushes compared to Ogunjobi's 8.4%.

Benton can surely grow as a pass rusher, but he laid a very solid foundation to build on.

In regards to run defense, Benton improved over the course of the season. While Benton is surely athletic enough to play a 3-technique in the Steelers' defense (the majority of his snaps were lined up in the B-gap), he was and will continue to be called on to eat space inside. It just comes with the job of being an interior defender.

Early on, there were obvious signs of needed improvement in regards to gap integrity in run defense:

Now, Benton is double-teamed on this play, so there's no expectation for him to blow it up. However, he should make every effort to eat as much space as possible. And, more importantly, he should make every effort to plug his gap. He's lined up in the A gap as a 2i-technique. He should make sure he's never moved off that spot. While he holds that for the first couple seconds of the rep, Benton eventually swims his way out, but to the side away from his gap. By that time, Josh Jacobs is long gone.

As an interior defender, Benton doesn't need to be a home run hitter in run defense. He shouldn't feel like he's only contributing in run defense by racking up TFLs. With the rest of the players the Steelers have up front, all Benton really needs to do is be an immovable object. When he gets double-teamed, he needs to hold his ground long enough to keep the double team intact long enough so one of the linemen doesn't peel off to get to the second level in time, especially when opposing offenses are running duo or inside zone concepts.

That being said, here's a great example of Benton's growth in that specific area when the run goes to his side:

This was in the wild-card game against the Bills, a few months after the previous example against the Raiders. Watch Benton absorb the double team, hold his ground, then once the tackle peels off to block Elandon Roberts on the second level, Benton beats the guard to snatch James Cook with one arm, tackling him for a minimal gain of three yards.

These kinds of plays are what should get people excited about Benton. He surprised no one by becoming a contributor in the Steelers' pass rush. But, his growth as a run defender was very promising. There's still a ways to go. But, considering Heyward's age, the Steelers need a young guy to step up and become a good player inside. Benton did more than enough to give fans hope that he can be the next guy.

NICK HERBIG

The Steelers selected Herbig with the 132nd overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, the 30th pick of the fourth round. At Wisconsin, Herbig was one of the best pass rushers in the country. He had 20 sacks over his final two seasons and rushed the passer on just 400 snaps over those two years with the Badgers. That's a good ratio. In 2022, only five defenders in the country had more quarterback hits than Herbig.

The fourth-round selection of Herbig puzzled some given the Steelers being set with Watt and Alex Highsmith at edge rusher, perhaps one of the best duos in the league. Of course, the selection gave the Steelers quality depth behind Watt and Highsmith, and the Steelers added even more when they signed veteran Markus Golden to the fold a month after the draft.

But, when the Steelers gave Highsmith a significant contract extension, outside of an injury, that seemed to cut off any pathway to Herbig getting any significant playing time on the edge. Many outside the organization even wondered if Herbig would fit better as an off-ball linebacker. After all, his 6-2, 240-pound frame seems to be a good fit for the position. However, the Steelers were adamant that Herbig would remain on the edge.

Herbig's largest contribution to the team in 2023 was going to come via special teams, and Herbig made the most of those opportunities. In 2023, Herbig logged 352 snaps on special teams compared to only 191 defensive snaps. Early on, Herbig showed promise as a special teamer during the preseason:

Herbig didn't get credit for the tackle here, but was right there with other core special teamers such as Miles Killebrew, a first team All-Pro selection on special teams, and Elijah Riley. He showed that he was going to be a contributor, and he followed up on that potential by tying for third on the team with six tackles on special teams in 2023.

Even though Herbig primarily played special teams, he did more than enough to flash his potential on defense. Despite playing only 74 pass rush snaps in 2023, Herbig recorded five hurries and three sacks. And, once again bowing to the almighty pass rush win rate, Herbig won 18.2% of his pass rushes. For comparison, Highsmith had a win rate of 18% and Watt had a win rate of 16.9%, while obviously playing far more snaps and attracting far more attention than Herbig.

However, Herbig gave offenses reason to consider him a threat. This was no better personified than with his third and final sack of the season:

Herbig really showed here why he can be an effective pass rusher at the NFL level. His bend here gives him all the leverage he needs, especially considering his shorter stature, combined with superb technique with his hands. This allows him to not only fight through a double team, but shed the tackle and hit Geno Smith with a strip sack. For the cherry on top, Herbig recovers his own forced fumble. 

Herbig also had a couple flashes of what he can do when he's not rushing the passer:

This kind of closing speed is much more than just sprint speed. Herbig drops back into zone coverage, does a great job of passing one receiver off to another zone, picks up another, then recognizes Jake Browning running out of options and accelerates ridiculously fast to bring him down for the sack. This is a playmaker's play.

Yes, the defensive snaps were very limited for Herbig. But, like Benton, he made the most of his opportunities. Should the Steelers not be able to retain Golden or add another veteran edge defender as effective as Golden, Herbig did enough during his rookie campaign to earn consideration as the first guy on the field when Watt or Highsmith need a breather.

FINAL THOUGHTS

With Porter, Benton and Herbig, the Steelers have real players at three critical positions on defense. Cornerback would be a barren wasteland without Porter. The Steelers still need more at the position. But, they've got themselves a shutdown cornerback for at least the next three seasons. In today's NFL, that's a huge find.

The future of the defensive line is in serious question. Heyward can probably still be an effective player when he's healthy (he wasn't at all in 2023). However, there are little to no answers for the future after that. Ogunjobi is a fine player, but isn't a long-term solution. Montravious Adams and Armon Watts are capable players, but aren't versatile enough to play a variety of techniques up front. Isaiahh Loudermilk has fallen off the radar and DeMarvin Leal is in the doghouse.

Benton is really the only promising player up front. The good thing is his first lap around the track was a successful one. Even for those that praise their grading system, Benton was ranked 20th of 130 interior defenders on PFF. In other words, people across the board valued Benton's performance as a rookie, no matter the means by which he was valued.

Herbig turning into a legitimate third option at edge rusher just gives the Steelers a better insurance policy for if and when Watt is out with an injury. No, Herbig nor anyone else should be expected to replicate Watt's production. Nobody can. But, any step forward from what Herbig did as a rookie just further solidifies that depth. It's something they've needed since Highsmith was the third guy behind Watt and Bud Dupree.

All in all, going 3-for-3 on the defensive players from this draft class that contributed on the field is a huge win for the Steelers. With not a lot of long-term options outside of Watt, Highsmith, Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick, it's something the Steelers desperately needed. And, to be honest, they probably need another couple of guys from the 2024 class to establish themselves in a similar manner. With a younger offense and uncertainty at quarterback, this team can't afford to completely rebuild a defense the way Tomlin had to do in the early 2010s. 

All stats in this article are pulled from Pro Football Focus and Pro-Football Reference.