Entering the 2024 season, the hype surrounding second-year Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive lineman Keeanu Benton is gaining considerable steam.
Coming off of a strong rookie season, Benton is poised for a bigger role this season, which has NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah singing his praise.
In the latest episode of the “Move The Sticks” podcast with co-host Bucky Brooks, Jeremiah made the case to “remember the name” in regards to Benton, stating he’s an explosive piece that flashed last season.
“With Pittsburgh, let me give you the name here. If you haven’t paid attention to him or you didn’t notice him last year, remember the name, Keeanu Benton,” Jeremiah said of the Steelers’ second-year defensive lineman. “Because man, he is explosive. He flashed big time last year.”
He is a name to remember, without a doubt.
Coming out of Wisconsin in the 2023 NFL Draft, Keeanu Benton was an easy player to get excited about due to his power and abilities as a run defender. But once in the NFL, he took it up a notch and flashed as a pass rusher.
Benton played 483 snaps and showed flashes of dominance. Taking on a larger role right away due to Cameron Heyward’s injury, he made quite an impact as a pass rusher while having some up-and-down moments as a run defender. Though he flashed quite a bit, the Steelers reduced his role later in the season, taking some pass-rushing opportunities away from him in sub-package football, which was rather surprising.
Of course, that correlated with Heyward being back in the lineup, but now, entering the 2024 season, it’s clear Benton needs to see more snaps.
Entering Year 2, Benton is expected to take on an even larger role for the Steelers and become that true impact defender and a legitimate building block along the defensive line. Benton finished with a 74.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus as a rookie.
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.
As training camp draws nearer, anticipation and excitement are high regarding Keeanu Benton. He’s a name that many Steelers fans know well, but one that the national media will get to know quite well in 2024 and beyond.
