The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2023 draft class has already made a tremendous impact on the field. Broderick Jones is an unstoppable force in the run game, along with his former college teammate Darnell Washington. Joey Porter Jr. was a finalist for Defensive Rookie Of The Year in 2023, while Nick Herbig also made some noise defensively. One of the more surprising rookie performances was Keeanu Benton, who became a crucial member of the interior of the Steelers' defense.
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Steelers' Keeanu Benton during a game in his rookie season in 2023.
Pittsburgh selected Benton in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft with the 49th overall pick. He was great at clogging up running lanes and pressuring the quarterback. Benton was on the field for less than 50 percent of the Steelers' defensive snaps in the majority of their games, but still managed to make his presence felt. He spoke with Missi Matthews about carrying that success over into his second season, and how he talked to veterans about improving his game during the 2024 offseason.
"Just figuring out how to learn and ask those other vets questions. Nobody is playing ball, and everyone is kind of on the same schedule, so you can reach out to those vets who may not play here, but just reach out to those vets who kind of know what it's been like to get from year one to year two."
Benton has a great leader and mentor in Pittsburgh with Cam Heyward, but it's always important to branch out to other players around the league. Every player has different perspectives, so it can't hurt to get as much advice as possible.
Benton touched more on the types of players he reached out to.
"I asked Lane Johnson questions, so it was offensive lineman, Lane Johnson, Jon Runyan I talked to a little bit. Nate [Herbig], Nick [Herbig], we just all came up with a plan that was best suitable for ourselves."
It's good to hear that Benton, who is just 22 years old, knows to reach out to players who play on the other side of the ball as well. Lane Johnson has played in the NFL for 10 seasons and is one of the most accomplished offensive linemen in the league. He likely had a lot to offer Benton and could give him more clarity on what he needs to work on to beat the league's best linemen.
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Steelers rookie Keeanu Benton before his first NFL game at Acrisure Stadium.
Johnson is a good resource for Benton and the two will be squaring off in Week 15 when the Steelers travel to play the Philadelphia Eagles. Benton is an interior defensive lineman who lines up in the A and B gaps most of the time, so he won't be going against Johnson directly. However, the two will surely come into contact a few times throughout the contest.
Benton also mentioned that he reached out to Jon Runyan, who is a guard that played for the Green Bay Packers in 2023 and is currently on the New York Giants. He and Benton lined up across from each other in Week 10 of the 2023 season and Runyan could have provided Benton with valuable feedback.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers rookie defensive lineman Keeanu Benton makes a tackle on Green Bay Packers running back, Aaron Jones during their Week 10 matchup in 2023.
Steelers' Keeanu Benton Looks To Take Leap In 2024
Benton impressed in 2023 when he was given the opportunity to do so. He finished his rookie year with 1 sack, 36 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 2 passes defensed, and 8 quarterbacks hits. He will be looking to give the organization some assurance about the future of the defensive line, as both Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi are showing their age. Heyward is also going into the last year of his contract, and Ogunjobi being a likely cut candidate if his play doesn't improve.
It seems as though Benton spent his first professional offseason in the best way possible, being focused on self-improvement and reaching out to valuable resources. He is doing everything in his power to show major improvements in his second season.
What do you think of Benton reaching out to Johnson? Let us know in the comments below!
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