I know we’re a week removed from the Pittsburgh Steelers victory over the Tennessee Titans in Week Ten. And it feels like the game was a month ago. But I couldn’t help but do at least a quick and condensed film room on Steelers rookie NT Keeanu Benton for his outstanding performance. Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. received the headlines, justifiably so, for shutting down WR DeAndre Hopkins over the second half.
But Benton was just as good. For some reason, PFF didn’t grade him out well, not that I’m taking too much stock in it, but the tape told me Benton was awesome.
I’m not going to go through things clip by clip. But below, here is a cut-up of some of my favorite reps and I’ll summarize them below.
What did those clips show? A couple things.
1. Holding The POA In The Run Game
Benton was stout against the run on single/base blocks and double-teams. In the first clip, the center tries to wash him out but Benton is able to able to anchor, get his head across, find the runner, and shed the block as he makes the tackle. You can see Cam Heyward do the same and it’s poetic to see the two mirror each other and converge on the running back. Old-school and new-school making plays.
In the last clip, Benton offers a really impressive rep of handling that double-team. Rarely do they look pretty nor should you expect them to. You have 600 pounds of linemen trying to knock you off your spot. He’s able to turn his shoulder as the right guard blocks him to reduce his surface area and anchor. He then handles the center and sheds him to make the stop at the line of scrimmage.
His technique has really improved in recent weeks. These weren’t plays he was making even earlier this year. His anchor against those duo/double-teams has been a serious area of improvement to make him a truly viable nose tackle.
2. Fluid Hips
One of the first things that jumped out to me watching Benton this summer was his hips. Defensive linemen can be evaluated in three areas. Hips, hands, and feet. Benton shows plus marks in all three areas. Under DL Coach Karl Dunbar, he teaches his linemen to be able to turn their hips and get vertical as a pass rusher. In the second clip from the above compilation, you can see Benton split the left tackle and left guard. Turns his hips to get skinny and gain ground vertically to split the block. That creates interior pressure that doesn’t allow QB Will Levis to escape. Alex Highsmith got the official credit for the sack but Benton was just as important.
Benton’s club and swim is his go-to move and he has the fluidity and balance to pull it off.
3. Effort
If you’re going to play defensive line in Pittsburgh, you gotta chase the ball. Benton has that fire in him. In the fourth clip near the Steelers’ end zone, it looks like RB Derrick Henry has the path to the end zone. But Benton flows down the line from the backside of the play and tackles Henry, the biggest and most bruising back in football, down in the open field. That alone is impressive. But to have the athleticism and the effort to make that kind of stop, doubly so.
Tennessee still punched the ball in the end zone on this drive but this was a great rep. Another one I didn’t show in the clip but played in a recent video I made. It focused on LB Elandon Roberts making a touchdown-saving tackle on Henry but you can watch Benton chase the ball downfield too on this RB screen. Benton shows a hot motor and plays with strong effort with the athleticism to make plays in the open field.
Combine all these things, improved technique against the run, fluid hips, and the heart to run after the football, and you have the foundations of a special player. There’s still things he has to work on, he must show a more consistent and powerful bull rush that will make his club/swim more effective, but this has been a promising rookie season. He should only get better.
