Most analysts concur that the 2023 NFL Draft was kind to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the manner in which it broke in their favor. Their draft class has been widely praised as one of the strongest in the league, and even Steelers fans actually seem to be happy about it, on the whole—imagine that.
One of the draft picks that we have discussed the least, however, is one of their highest selections: defensive lineman Keeanu Benton, taken 49th overall out of Wisconsin. The position he plays, of course, limits his press at this time of year, but he may well become rather important in Latrobe when the pads come on.
And draft analyst Emory Hunt believes he can contribute not just sooner rather than later, but also perhaps more extensively than he may be given credit for. Given that his thoughts echo the same sentiment expressed by the Steelers—that he showed something more at the Senior Bowl than his tape at Wisconsin indicated—he may well be on the right track.
“Benton was someone that was just outstanding at the Senior Bowl. It’s hard for those [nose] guards to really stand out in one-on-ones. He stood out”, Hunt said on the College Draft podcast with Ross Tucker, “as someone who had not only the brute power to walk guys back into the pocket, but also the savviness to show hand quickness and be able to get off those blocks with quickness and speed puts him in play now to be out there for three downs”.
Playing in a pro-style Wisconsin Badgers defense, the role Benton was asked to play up north was not necessarily one that encouraged him to harness and develop all of his athletic arsenal. He still produced nine sacks, half of which came in his senior year, but the work he put together during Senior Bowl practices showed a more disruptive and explosive defender who can better fit into today’s NFL.
“We saw him at the Senior Bowl, and we saw the pass rush ability”, Steelers assistant general manager Andy Weidl said in May. “Him being able to go from the B gap to the A gap and win an edge and get across the face. We think that he has upside as a rusher”, he added. “If you need him to win as a rusher, he would. You saw snapshots of it, and we saw it at the Senior Bowl”.
The Steelers could well be in the market for an upgrade at nose tackle over Montravius Adams, who was elevated to the full-time starting role in 2022 after Tyson Alualu was demoted. Heading into 2023, Adams’ roster spot should not be considered a 100 percent lock, though by no means is he in any more jeopardy than might normally be expected.
But there’s no denying Benton has the higher upside of the two players. If he can show a propensity to handle his responsibilities early on, it’s possible he wins the starting job. If not, he’s still likely to contribute significantly, and with his athleticism, that will include work in passing downs, even in nickel packages.
