Going from the end of your collegiate season to training for the NFL Scouting Combine and the NFL Draft, and then jumping right into a new team and a new situation following the draft can be a whirlwind for many players.
There is no real offseason for those rookies. It’s just go, go, go, with a lot of information thrown at them in their new NFL homes.
Some sink, some swim, most just tread water. It’s that Year 2 in the NFL that can truly lead to the breakout.
For Pittsburgh Steelers second-year defensive lineman Keeanu Benton, that appears to be the case. Expectations are high for Benton entering Year 2, especially after he flashed quite often as a rookie.
From the vantage point of Steelers defensive captain and team leader Cameron Heyward, Benton has his feet underneath him now in the NFL.
“I think the thing with Keeanu is he’s more comfortable. You know, it’s not his first time around the track,” Heyward told reporters Tuesday following OTAs, according to video via Steelers.com. “It’s actually like he can…catch his feet under him. I always think when you’re in your rookie season, you’re going from bowl game — I don’t even know Wisconsin played in a bowl game. Sorry, Wisconsin. I don’t even know. But personally I just think when you go from bowl game to training for the combine to rookie minicamp, OTAs…training camp then regular season, you really don’t get the time to really catch yourself.
“He understands the playbook now. You can be more vocal. And I think with my absence and other guys’ absence, you need guys like that to step up and be ready for those opportunities.”
Last season probably was a bit of a whirlwind for Benton, who went from Wisconsin to becoming a member of the Steelers as a second-round pick at No. 49 overall. Fortunately for Benton, he stepped into an experienced defensive line room featuring Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi, Montravius Adams and Isaiahh Loudermilk, taking some of the pressure off Benton right away to be a top guy.
That helped Benton get his feet wet throughout the offseason, but once the season started that was all thrown out the window. Heyward went down with a groin injury early in the season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers, pushing Benton into a larger role.
To his credit, Benton thrived, looking like a legitimate building block defensively for the Steelers. He saw 483 snaps defensively in 2023 and finished with a 74.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.
Along with his 74.8 overall grade, he graded out at 57.4 against the run but had a sparkling 80.0 as a pass rusher. Benton generated 22 pressures on the year and really flashed an impressive club/swim move that allowed him to win time and time again on the interior. He also had an impressive bull rush, displaying the eye-opening power that was his calling card at Wisconsin.
Entering Year 2, expectations are increased for Benton. Head coach Mike Tomlin stated after the 2023 season that Benton could be a dominant force sooner rather than later, and Heyward also believes the future is bright for Benton.
He has the experience under his belt, knows the defense and has had a full offseason to really recover, immerse himself in the NFL calendar and prepare his body for the season ahead. That should only help Benton in 2024.
It’ll be a big boost for the Steelers defensively if he can be that player who steps up and performs at a high level in the trenches.
