Like Keeanu Benton, the Pittsburgh Steelers are right where we are: sitting at home being mad. Although they managed to make the playoffs in 2023, they lost in the first round. It has now been seven years without a postseason victory, the longest drought in franchise history. The question is what to do next.
The first step is always taking stock of what happened and what is left. That’s part of the exit meeting process, in which coaches meet with each player. They discuss the season and their expectations moving forward—and potentially their role within it.
While we might not know all the details about what goes on between head coach Mike Tomlin and his players during these exit meetings, we do know how we would conduct those meetings if they were let up to us. So here are the Depot’s exit meetings for the Steelers’ roster following the 2023 season.
Player: Keeanu Benton
Position: Defensive Line
Experience: 1 Year
The second rookie featured in this series so far, Keeanu Benton, emerged as a starter midway through the year. The second-round pick wasted little time, logging 29 snaps in his NFL debut. In fact, he played more than 15 snaps in every game and only fewer than 20 twice.
In other words, the Steelers knew he was good right away and did not hesitate to get him on the field. It was only a matter of time before he took over the starting nose tackle job. The transition took place at midseason with Montravius Adams dealing with an injury.
All told, Benton logged nearly 500 defensive snaps in 17 games, officially starting nine. He recorded 36 tackles with one sack, one tackle for loss, and eight quarterback hits. He also batted two passes and forced two fumbles.
And the Steelers are optimistic about Benton’s future. Head coach Mike Tomlin said at the end of the season he believes he’s “capable of being dominant, sooner rather than later”. A rough translation: he expects Benton to be a known commodity around the league in 2024.
They very well might need him to be because he is their only bright spot for the future. While Cameron Heyward might still be around, he can’t have more than a few years left at most. Recent draft picks like Isaiahh Loudermilk and DeMarvin Leal are not yielding great returns. Journeyman pickups have proven to be no more than that.
One thing that is encouraging is that Benton has already shown he has the tools to win one-on-one matchups. The next step is winning them faster and finishing the play. We’ve already talked about his go-to pass-rush move and how effective it’s been. Now, he has to build a complementary repertoire.
Will Benton prove to be the Steelers’ next Javon Hargrave? Truth be told, Hargrave was a little more impactful, if perhaps a little less consistent, as a rookie in roughly the same amount of playing time.
