Ready or not, Steelers rookie class could be thrust into spotlight against Ravens
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Not unlike a father teaching a child to ride a bike, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been careful about how much playing time they have given to their rookie class at the outset of the season.
They have tried not to overwhelm the rookies, allowing them to develop at their own rate while, for the most part, gradually infusing them into the offensive and defensive schemes.
That approach could change this weekend. With the first-place Baltimore Ravens visiting Acrisure Stadium and injuries forcing key veterans out of the lineup, the Steelers may have no choice but to remove the training wheels from their rookie class.
First-round pick Broderick Jones will make his first start at left tackle in place of Dan Moore Jr. Third-rounder Darnell Washington, who has lined up three times as a starter as the No. 2 tight end, will become the top option in the wake of Pat Freiermuth’s absence.
On defense, second-rounder Keeanu Benton could see his most significant playing time of the season with DeMarvin Leal missing the Ravens game and Cameron Heyward a month away from being activated from injured reserve. Cornerback Joey Porter Jr., the top pick of the second round, could be tasked with helping repair a leaky secondary that allowed a season-high 312 passing yards. And Nick Herbig could move up a spot in the outside linebacker pecking order if Alex Highsmith’s groin injury persists.
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Veteran tackle Chuks Okorafor expects them to be ready for expanded roles given they are entering the sixth month in the Steelers system and second month playing NFL games.
“This is Week 5 now,” Okorafor said. “Respectfully, it’s no more being a rookie or being a young guy.”
Jones and Benton likely are getting their NFL indoctrination earlier than expected, though many thought Porter would be a starter by this point in the season. Washington had settled into a role as the backup tight end over the first month, and Herbig has earned sporadic playing time as the No. 4 outside linebacker.
As for the other draftees, offensive lineman Spencer Anderson got his first two snaps — both on special teams — last weekend in Houston. Cornerback Cory Trice is on season-ending injured reserve with an ACL injury.
Jones’ arrival as the Steelers’ starting left tackle was anticipated from the moment the team moved up in the draft and selected him with the No. 14 overall pick. He played four snaps in the season opener and then logged the final 51 on offense last week after Moore’s knee sprain.
“I feel really good about what he’s done to tee up his performance from a practice perspective, the amount of urgency that he has, the quality of his play,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “He’s gotten his feet wet now. I thought the quality of his play improved over the course of the game.”
A strong starting debut by Jones against the Ravens could end any chance of Moore regaining his job when healthy.
“A ton of confidence in Broderick,” quarterback Kenny Pickett said. “I love the way he prepares. I love the way he works.”
Lining up next to Jones on Sunday could be his former Georgia Bulldogs teammate. Washington has played 104 snaps so far, second only to Benton’s 107 among the rookies. He has played no fewer than 24 and no more than 29 in a game.
With Freiermuth nursing a hamstring injury, Washington could see his snaps double against the Ravens.
Okorafor isn’t concerned about the Steelers starting a pair of draft picks up front.
“It’s not like these guys were taken in the sixth or seventh round,” he said. “Broderick was a top-20 pick, and Darnell was supposed to be first-round pick. There is no panic or anything like that. They both will come in and do their jobs.”
That is the anticipation for Benton as well.
Benton brings the most game experience among his rookie brethren, logging between 21 and 29 snaps in each of his four appearances. He might not get the initial snaps on the defensive line with Leal resting because of a concussion, but he expects to be an important part of the defensive line rotation.
“I’m just prepared to endure whatever they throw at me and give it all I’ve got,” he said. “I hope I do get more snaps. I’m ready.”
Porter is the rookie some expected to see in the starting lineup first, given all the talk about the Steelers moving 33-year-old Patrick Peterson to the slot so he wouldn’t have to play with his back to the quarterback. Instead, Porter’s playing time has fluctuated with all of his snaps coming in subpackages. He appeared to take a step forward to a bigger role when he played 27 snaps against Las Vegas. That number, however, dwindled to 10 in the loss at Houston.
Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, who said after the Steelers took Porter with the No. 32 overall pick that the cornerback would not be redshirted, admitted this week that Porter isn’t ready to be a starter just yet.
“He’s working hard,” Austin said. “I like the way he’s working. He’s making strides. If he ready for a full-time (role) right now? I’m not sure I can say that I feel really great about that. But he’s working in the right direction.”
Like Porter, Herbig’s playing time has fluctuated. He has played 50 snaps in four games, but after reaching double figures in his first three games, his playing time consisted of four snaps against the Texans.
Unlike Porter, there are no illusions of Herbig starting as a rookie. Not with Watt and Highsmith as the starters. But Highsmith’s recent groin injury could at least allow Herbig to play more frequently against the Ravens than he did last weekend.
“We’ll just let the game come to him,” Austin said. “We’ll get him what we can and grow him as best we can with the amount of reps he gets. The bottom line is, we have two really, really good outside linebackers, and we have to keep those guys on the field as much as possible.”
And so it is that while some Steelers rookies will wait for their time to come, others will get a chance Sunday to show what they can do against the Ravens.