Keeanu Benton is the only defensive lineman the Steelers have drafted in the first two rounds in the past decade. A second-round pick in 2023, he was preceded by Stephon Tuitt by nearly a decade in 2014, also a second rounder. The Steelers are still waiting on him to fully mature, but he has flashed plenty of talent. In particular is his one-on-one work off the line, as many offensive linemen have found out.
Still, Benton has seen a decent amount of action with two laps around the track so far. Recently appearing on 92.7 WCLO, he discussed his second NFL season and touched on his toughest assignment to date. It wasn’t one person, though—a point that he stressed.
“I’m not gonna say one particular guy, but definitely a center-guard duo. I had trouble with Philadelphia, but I’m gonna say it’s more of a duo than a one-on-one”, Benton said. “Just how well they can communicate, how well they can stay on those double teams to work up to the second level and things like that. But personally, I don’t think it’s just one person that can block me”.
The Eagles, who went on to win the Super Bowl, have one of the top offensive lines in the NFL. After Jason Kelce retired, they promoted Cam Jurgens to the starting center role. Tyler Steen and Mekhi Becton now man their guard spots. If Pro Football Focus is to be believed, that was one of Benton’s worst games of the season.
In all, he played 55 snaps against the Eagles. Though he didn’t record any pressures, he managed a season-high five tackles. All of them were assisted tackles, though. Two of them went down as defensive wins. His final three tackles—all offensive wins—came on the Eagles’ final drive. Twice, he allowed Philadelphia to convert on 3rd and short.
Of course, the Eagles’ offensive line powered QB Saquon Barkley to a historic season. While he had an underwhelming Super Bowl as a runner, he recorded the eighth-most rushing yards in a single season in NFL history and might have broken Eric Dickerson’s record had he not sat out the Eagles’ regular-season finale. Barkley was phenomenal, of course, but the guys Keeanu Benton had to wrestle paved the way. He wouldn’t have had this kind of success behind the Steelers’ line.
Benton is now entering his third season, and there are questions over whether the Steelers have him in the right position. Though they don’t play in a 3-4 front extensively, he is nominally a nose tackle. Some believe he would be better suited to a five-tech role.
Either way, Benton should see some quality additions to his position group this offseason. The Steelers may tackle the defensive line in both free agency and the draft, and with significant resources. Depending on how they address it, it’s not inconceivable that Benton will have his role adjusted.
And perhaps he will see the same benefits that the Eagles have on their offensive line. They work well together. Obviously, Benton worked well with Cameron Heyward, but there is more they can do. And he has room to grow in that area, as well. It’s not all about beating the man in front of you—and besides, he believes he has that part down.
