2023 Draft Class Review – DT Keeanu Benton

Keeanu BentonThanks to Chase Claypool, the Pittsburgh Steelers had two second-round draft picks in 2023, the second of which they used to add DT Keeanu Benton. The highest defensive lineman they’ve drafted since 2014, Benton impressed as a rookie and has Mike Tomlin fired up.

Drafted 49th overall out of Wisconsin, Benton was an immediate contributor. He played 29 snaps in his first NFL game, roughly his average for the entire season. In all, he played 484 defensive snaps and eventually took over the starting nose tackle role.

Statistically, Benton recorded 36 tackles, though he surprisingly lacked many “impact” statistics. While he did create two forced fumbles, he had just one sack and one…