Steelers Rookie DL Wins Impressive Accolade from PFF

After his impressive preseason, Steelers rookie defensive tackle Keeanu Benton earned an impressive accolade from Pro Football Focus. Throughout the preseason, Benton wrecked plays in the run game and earned the highest grade of any rookie defensive tackle against the run the preseason with an elite 80.4 grade.

Benton’s debut against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers showed what he could do as a rookie. While his pass rush plan and moves come along, his run defense will immediately boost his stock. Benton can disrupt and displace interior offensive linemen thanks to an elite frame and good burst, combined with heavy hands at the point of attack. For the Buccaneers, who tried to run a lot of outside zone, the centers and guards could not match Benton’s burst and reach block him, allowing Benton to disrupt plays with speed-to-power conversion.

Even more so than that, Benton’s improvement with his pad level is noticeable. That pad level would swell at Wisconsin, allowing a double team to move Benton out of the gap. But in the preseason, he plays with a flat back and comes downhill much more effectively. Defensive line coach Karl Dunbar instilled lessons in Benton to continue to address his pad level, and it seems to be paying off for the talented rookie.

“Because he has some heavy hands and understands how to use his body,” Dunbar said. “He has a wrestling background, so he understands how to torque his body and how to torque people. I just love to see it.”

Despite his success against the run, the Steelers want to see Benton grow as a pass rusher. In the preseason, they started playing him out as a subpackage 3-technique to get him acclimated to that part of the game. Benton has some severe pass-rush potential that is not unlocked with all his athleticism. Benton’s size and strength at Wisconsin allowed him to play as the ideal run-plugging nose tackle in Jim Leonhard’s scheme. Pittsburgh runs such similar things to Wisconsin under Leonhard that it has helped Benton transition easily, even with more opportunities to pin his ears back and rush the passer.

Pittsburgh will get him significant playing time early on in the rotation. It seems likely that he will start at nose tackle at some point during the season, though Montravius Adams likely has that job right now.