The Pittsburgh Steelers are expecting big things out of DL Keeanu Benton in 2025 as he enters his third year in the league. Defensive line coach Karl Dunbar endorsed Benton at nose tackle after there was some speculation he could kick outside, and Benton is focusing on being a better run defender after Pittsburgh’s run defense struggled at times last season.
“I feel like I’ve grown and just recognizing runs and recognizing when they’re coming. I feel like I still need to work on just finishing those plays. Watching film this offseason, I see myself beating blocks but just not making those plays, so I gotta figure out how to finish them,” Benton told reporters this week via video posted to YouTube by Post-Gazette Sports.
Benton should realistically be Pittsburgh’s second-best defensive lineman behind Cameron Heyward, but he didn’t take a major leap in year two and finishing plays has been a problem for him. Benton had just a 45.3 run defense grade last year by PFF, which ranked 155th out of 219 defensive linemen. If he’s going to hold down the nose tackle job, then he has to be better defending the run and become more disruptive in the backfield.
PFF also marked Benton down for seven missed tackles last season, and he’s going to need to clean up his tackling. There’s been multiple instances where Benton beats his blocker but just can’t make the play, and he recongized that it’s something he needs to clean up. He could stand to diversify his repetoire of moves to beat his blocker, but he has a few effective moves but just needs to clean his game up so he can take that next step and prove himself as a capable full-time starter.
Entering Year 3, Keeanu Benton has taken on more of a leadership role along the defensive line, and if he’s someone players are going to really turn to and look up to, his play on the field has to be effective. He hasn’t been bad by any means, but he needs to be better if the Steelers are going to return to having an elite defensive line and defense as a whole.
It’s good that it’s something he’s working on at this stage in the offseason, and there’s going to be plenty of time for him to improve his craft and become the defensive lineman that the Steelers will need him to be in 2025.
