Keeanu Benton promoted to 1st-team among Steelers’ official depth-chart changes

There was no team meeting and no grand announcement. By all appearances, the man most affected wasn’t even told.

But the Pittsburgh Steelers officially have a new starting nose tackle.

On the depth chart page of the team’s official notes in advance of Saturday’s game at the Indianapolis Colts, among the minor modifications from last week was that rookie Keeanu Benton was with the first teamers.

“I didn’t really see it,” Benton said after practice Tuesday. “I guess (the depth chart) is big for the fans. But people that are in there, you know the work that it takes to do stuff like that, so it’s not really a big deal.”

The Steelers’ second of two second-round picks in April, Benton has had a solid rookie season. He has made six starts already, including the past five games.

But until the team release Monday, Benton was listed behind veteran Montravius Adams as the first-team nose tackle. Adams had missed the prior four games before returning to play in the Steelers’ most recent game Thursday against the New England Patriots.

Benton still got the start, though he and Adams played 17 snaps each in the defeat.

Oddly enough, Benton’s promotion to starter came days after playing the second-fewest snaps he has played in any game in his career. But the snap count is sometimes more a function of what subpackages the defense deploys and how often and also can be reliant on the health of veteran starters Cameron Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi.

“I try not to focus too much on how people see me, and just focus on how I see myself and how I can make myself better,” Benton said. “Of course, the coaches’ opinions help, but at the end of the day, it’s me going out there and playing. So I just really keep my head down and work, and opinions come off of that.”

Benton has earned raves for his play and is considered among the league’s best rookie defensive linemen. For the season Benton has 31 tackles (14 solo), one sack, two forced fumbles and two passes defended.

In Pro Football Focus grades, Benton is rated the fourth-best rookie interior defensive lineman in the NFL, the second-best at pass-rushing. Only six rookie defensive linemen have accumulated more pressures in the pass rush.

Benton never played more than 12 games during a college season at Wisconsin, but 13 games into his pro career he doesn’t want to hear anything about the infamous “rookie wall” it is said first-year pro players hit.

“Why is everybody talking about that?” he said. “It’s a mindset, man. I feel like I just started.”

Notes: In other depth-chart changes, Blake Martinez was given an “or” in relation to being the starter at left inside linebacker along with Mykal Walker. Also, Godwin Igwebuike was moved ahead of Anthony McFarland as the top kickoff returner.

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