Steelers final report card: Grading each positional group for the 2023 season

Interior defensive line: B-

If we were only going off the first half of the season, this unit would have earned a much lower grade than a B-. Fortunately, the Steelers got Cameron Heyward back in Week 9 and the DL got a bit more consistent the rest of the year.

While fighting through injuries, Heyward wasn't as dominant as his usual self, but a great year from rookie Keeanu Benton helped pick up the slack. Surprisingly, veteran newcomer Armon Watts chipped in a very strong 2023 season as well, despite a limited role.

Larry Ogunjobi and Montravius Adams were just so-so. They offer some juice as pass rushers but they still gave up far too much ground as run defenders. This was masked a bit better in the second half of the year when Heyward was in the lineup. It didn't help things that former third-round pick, DeMarvin Leal, was a healthy scratch late in the year.

Still, Benton's emergence is the big storyline when it comes to the interior defensive line. His sometimes dominant play gives Steelers fans hope for their future when Heyward is no longer part of it. The collective unit wasn't one of the best in the league this season (as it has been so often in the past), but it's not what hurt them in 2023.