The Pittsburgh Steelers signed DL Daniel Ekuale on Sunday night, but the team didn’t make a big splash in the defensive line market despite a clear need at the position. While a first-round defensive lineman is very much in play for the Steelers, The Pat McAfee Show’s Mark Kaboly thinks that Keeanu Benton will have a lot on his plate this season and that the Steelers are showing faith in him by not signing a “definite starter” at the position.
“As long as this goes on and they don’t add a piece or a key piece or a definite starter, just tells me [Keeanu] Benton’s the guy. I mean, even if they do draft one in the first round, what are the odds of him coming in and being successful and being so ready to go that he’s gonna get 80-percent of the snaps? I don’t see it. I think they’re gonna have a huge ask of Benton right now unless there’s something coming here that I don’t see,” Kaboly said on The Fan Morning Show on 93.7 The Fan Monday.
It usually takes rookie defensive linemen some time to get acclimated to Pittsburgh’s scheme. Even in a deep and talented defensive line class, it’s hard to see a rookie playing the majority of the snaps for the Steelers. Ekuale is a good depth signing who can play well against the run, but he likely isn’t suited to be a full-time starter.
While there’s been some thought about kicking Benton out to defensive end, he might wind up starting the season playing nose tackle as he has for the majority of the past two seasons. If the Steelers draft someone capable of playing the nose, Benton could kick to defensive end when the rookie gets up to speed. Still, it wouldn’t be a surprise, barring a more significant signing (although there aren’t impact guys available), if Benton began the season at nose tackle.
Entering his third year in the league, he didn’t make the sophomore jump that some expected out of him, so year three will be important for Benton to prove his value and work on his pass-rush juice. He only has two sacks, one in each of his first two seasons, but the Steelers seem comfortable relying on him to play a bigger role in 2025, and their relative inaction in the defensive line market proves as much.
It also can’t be counted out that the Steelers double-dip on the defensive line in the draft, but with just six selections following the DK Metcalf trade, that becomes harder to do. A year-three jump from Keeanu Benton might be needed for the Steelers to have a strong defensive line, and the team seems to think it could be coming.
