The Pittsburgh Steelers may have just drafted Yahya Black, a 336-pound defensive tackle who is capable of playing nose tackle in their 3-4 defense. But that doesn’t necessarily mean Keeanu Benton is getting kicked outside. DL coach Karl Dunbar seems pretty happy with having Benton in the middle.
He was asked if Black is a pure nose tackle in the middle of the defensive front.
“I think he’s gonna be able to play all of it,” Dunbar said Saturday via the Steelers’ website. “I think he’s gonna play at four-technique. He can play nose, but I think we have a pretty good nose tackle on staff right now.”
Benton lined up as a nose tackle or over guard for 617 of his 671 snaps last year, according to Pro Football Focus. Omar Khan hinted that his role could vary in 2025 when he said Benton can “play anywhere” along the d-line during his NFL Combine press conference.
“Keeanu plays three technique when we go to our sub-package and he plays great over the guards,” Dunbar said. “And then we’re in our 3-4 structure he plays nose tackle. And I think Yahya and Derrick [Harmon] have the length to play four technique. And I really like Keeanu where he is right now.”
Meanwhile, PFF charted Black with a similar breakdown of snaps in 2024. He played 464 snaps in the B gap and 57 in the A gap. That being said, he has 35-inch arms. If he can get his weight closer to what he was listed at in college (317 pounds), then he is absolutely capable of developing into a versatile player who can play anywhere from zero to five technique.
Add Logan Lee to the equation as a draft pick last year, and things are getting pretty crowded along the defensive line. Cameron Heyward is still the grizzly vet playing at an elite level, but the Steelers have legitimate youth in the room for the first time in a long time.
If they can free up Benton to kick outside in base packages and then flex him back inside to create interior pressure on passing downs, then all the better. But it seems like Karl Dunbar is more than happy to continue viewing Benton as the team’s primary nose tackle.
For what it’s worth, Black is already being listed as a defensive end on the Steelers website. It really seems like the plan is to develop him on the outside with versatility to play inside when needed.
