PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Steelers stay on defense with the second pick of the second round and pick another defensive player from Wisconsin. Defensive tackle Keeanu Benton is 6’4”, 309 pounds and the third Badgers defensive player drafted by the Steelers in the last six years.
Benton said he had a good feeling about the Steelers after his pre-draft visit and felt like the defensive sets are similar. Steelers Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin would agree, Wisconsin guys fit the team’s defensive mold. Plus, he said there are some good football players that not only fit a defensive mold, but the Steelers mold of being tough and physical.
“Big, strong guy, really active, for a big guy you’ll see him venture outside the box,” Austin said. “He’s in really good shape. He’ll play a lot of snaps. Sometimes you’ll watch guys and they are splitting snaps with other guys. He’s an 80-85% guy. He keeps himself in shape, good competitive spirit. I like him.”
For a 300-pounder, he had some of the best speed and agility numbers at the NFL Combine. His next generation stats are top seven of any of the defensive line prospects and fifth best overall. He’s a two-time All-Big 10 player, including a third-teamer last year with 35 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and a pair of pass breakups.
“I think I got a lot of strength,” Benton said. “I feel like my run game is the big thing a lot of people have seen. I feel in Pittsburgh I can develop into a great pass rusher with Coach Dunbar and Cam Heyward.”
Austin believes he would begin his career in the middle (nose tackle) with the opportunity to move outside. As an older college player, you can see his game is a little more polished. He is explosive with heavy hands and believes he will learn to add to areas of need. They are counting on him to be a run stopper, pass rush would be a bonus. It also adds more bodies to the D-line.
“The games are won up front,” Austin said. “The receivers and DBs only play as well as the guys in front of them. As far as we look at it, the games are won by the bigs. You have to have depth. It can’t just be your front guys. If your front guys get hurt you have to have some people to step up. We’ve added really good depth, really good competition. It’s good for us as a team it makes us practice a little harder, play a little harder. It makes us a better team and a stronger team.”
In a division with not only great running backs, but the most dangerous running quarterback and two others who can move when needed. It’s an area where they felt they had to improve, spending big money to keep Larry Ogunjobi.
“It’s important for us,” Austin said.
“If you are going to beat Cleveland, you have to beat Chubb. If you are going to beat Baltimore, you have to stop the run. If you are going to be Cincinnati, you know what the quarterback and those guys are going to do, but you better stop Joe Mixon. The first thing you have to do is win your division, if you can’t beat the teams in your division, you are going to have a hard time winning it.”
“I think it’s something I’ve been waiting my whole life, to be a NFL player,” Benton said. “The Steelers have been a good team ever since I’ve known about football. I’m happy and blessed to be here.”