Editor’s note: From now until the first practice of training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive will go over the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, evaluating each player and his prospects for the 2024 season. From June 14 to July 25, the breakdown will be in alphabetical order, with at least two players per day. Contract data courtesy of spotrac.com.
DT Keeanu Benton
Experience/Age: Second season, turning 23 next month.
Contract status: $1.67 million cap hit in 2024, contracted until 2026.
The past: Benton, the second of the Steelers’ two second-round picks last year, lacked the profile of the man selected before him. After all, Joey Porter Jr.’s father was a team star, and the younger Porter attended North Allegheny High School and Penn State. However, Benton appears to have been an equally good draft pick for the Steelers. Benton quickly established himself as a key defensive player and was promoted to starting position by the halfway point of his first season.
While officially only represented at nose tackle, Benton played all across the Steelers’ defensive line and, by the conclusion of the season, was on par with seasoned starters Cameron Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi. Benton, one of the Steelers’ many defensive players drafted from Wisconsin in recent years, completed 2023 with 36 tackles (16 solo, one for loss), one sack, two batted down balls, and two forced fumbles. Benton ranked higher in Pro Football Focus’ subjective grading than any Steelers defensive lineman who played at least 300 defensive snaps last season and was in the top 20 in the NFL.
Coach Mike Tomlin didn’t mince words when asked about Benton during the season wrap-up press conference in January: “I think he’s capable of being dominant, sooner rather than later.”
Benton could obviously improve his raw metrics. However, watching games and reviewing game film reveals that he was everything the Steelers could have reasonably expected from a second-round rookie defensive lineman. That’s good because the team has long needed to inject more youth into his position; Heyward is 35, while Ogunjobi is 30. Benton, who is 6 feet 4 inches tall, weighs 309 pounds, and has quick feet, is the ideal stature to play practically any position in the Steelers’ scheme.
He is slated to be the Steelers’ most-used defensive lineman this season, alongside Heyward and Ogunjobi. And it’s safe to infer that the Steelers see him as a long-term cornerstone of their defense for the rest of the decade.
While NFL history is filled with players who regress after promising rookie seasons, Benton appears to have the temperament and work ethic to make the most of his enormous skill. Tomlin enjoys discussing how he wants second-year players to make the largest leap of their careers. If this is true for Benton, it is not unrealistic to anticipate him to become a star for the Steelers.
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