Here is the second in a position-by-position series on the Steelers at the conclusion of the 2023 season as they head into the start of the NFL free agent period, which opens March 13.
Defensive linemen (7): Cameron Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi, Keeanu Benton, Montravius Adams, Isaiahh Loudermilk, DeMarvin Leal, Armon Watts
A Last Look at 2023
With Cam Heyward missing six games because of a groin injury, Larry Ogunjobi led this group in snaps in 2023 with 767, or nearly 68 percent of the team's defensive snaps.
Rookie Keeanu Benton was second with 484 snaps played, while Heyward (443), Montravius Adams (416), Armon Watts (273), DeMarvin Leal (206) and Isaiahh Loudermilk (181) rounded out the playing time for this unit.
Even at 34, Heyward remained the straw that stirred the drink up front. He was injured early in the team's Week 1 loss against San Francisco, and the run defense suffered mightily without the former All-Pro.
In the first seven games of the season, the Steelers allowed 137.1 yards rushing per game. Once Heyward returned in Week 9 against the Titans, the Steelers allowed an average of 99.6 rushing yards per game. And that came despite playing twice down the stretch against Baltimore, which led the league in rushing at 156.5 yards per game.
Heyward's overall numbers weren't what he's accustomed to having – 33 tackles, 2 sacks – after he had back-to-back double-digit sack seasons and was among the league leaders in tackles for defensive linemen, but he also was playing largely on one leg even when he returned.
With Heyward out, the Steelers leaned more heavily on Ogunjobi to be an anchor, as his snap count was his highest in four seasons. He produced 43 tackles and 2 sacks. His tackles ranked him 33rd among NFL defensive tackles this season.
Benton, a second-round draft pick, matched Ogunjobi with eight quarterback hits to lead the team's defense linemen and also had 36 tackles and a sack while also forcing a pair of fumbles in what was a solid first season.
The rookie took over for Adams at nose tackle midway through the season when Adams missed time with an ankle injury and also saw some time at defensive end when Heyward was out.
Adams appeared in 13 games, starting eight, while contributing 24 tackles, including two for a loss, and a forced fumble while largely playing on the nose.
Because of his versatility to play either nose or end, Watts saw his playing time grow over the course of the season, as he showed his value when both Heyward and Adams were out. He contributed 15 tackles, a half sack and three quarterback hits in limited playing time.
Leal and Loudermilk largely wound up splitting time over the course of the season, with Leal playing when the Steelers played a pass-heavy team and Loudermilk seeing action against run-heavy opponents.
Leal, a third-round pick in 2022, appeared in 12 games, four of them starts, and had 15 tackles, one sack and two quarterback hits.
Loudermilk, a fifth-round pick in 2021, contributed 16 tackles and one quarterback hit in 16 games, none of them starts.
One Stat That Stood Out
After producing 14 sacks and 28 tackles for a loss as a group in 2022, the Steelers defensive linemen saw their production dip to just 7.5 sacks and 14 tackles for a loss in 2023.
Heyward playing just 443 snaps, his fewest since his rookie season in 2016, the Steelers needed someone else to pick up the slack.
Heyward produced 10.5 sacks and a team-high 14 tackles for a loss in 2022, more than the entire group did in 2023.
Looking Ahead to 2024
There was some question as to whether Heyward would return for a 14th season after playing through his groin injury in 2023, but he said last week on his podcast that he plans on doing so.
When he does, he'll likely join an elite group of players to appear in 200 games in a Steelers uniform. Heyward currently sits at 194 games and needs eight more games to pass Pro Football Hall of Fame safety Donnie Shell for the most games played by a defensive player with the team.
It might no longer be viable to have Heyward play 80 percent of the defensive snaps like he did in his prime, but he's still a player who demands double teams. At no point during the 2023 season was he healthy after his return from injury.
Both Adams and Watts are slated to become unrestricted free agents when the new league year begins March 13, and it wouldn't be surprising if the Steelers tried to retain both. Both proved to be valuable depth pieces this season.
Adams became more of a depth piece upon his return from a high-ankle sprain because of the emergence of Benton.
The rookie has plenty of promise and could become the heir apparent to Heyward if he continues to progress.
"I'm really excited about the prospects of his future," said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. "He's really talented. I think he's capable of being dominant, sooner rather than later. And so, the question is how quickly can we make that happen and what are our roles in doing so."
If Heyward returns healthy in 2024 and Benton takes a natural step forward, this could be a dominant group again next season.
Both Loudermilk and Leal find themselves at career crossroads. Loudermilk will enter his fourth NFL season, while Leal will be entering Year 3.
