Keeanu Benton's Flaw Keeping From Dominance

Photo Credit: Alysa Rubin/Pittsburgh Steelers

For defensive tackle Keeanu Benton, the 2025 season was one defined by peaks and valleys.

As a pass rusher, Benton registered a career high 5.5 sacks along with 15 quarterback pressures and 12 quarterback hits. That element of his game has always been a strength dating back to his Wisconsin days — most notably his dominant showing during the 2023 Senior Bowl. His ability to win quickly, disrupt blocking schemes, and generate interior pressure translated immediately to the NFL stage.

Yet with that success came a glaring weakness that surfaced as early as Week 1 against the New York Jets and persisted throughout the season: his run defense. Whether he was taking on tandem blocks or battling one‑on‑one against opposing linemen, Benton’s inability to anchor consistently made him a liability at times. Too often, he was displaced at the point of attack, creating cutback lanes or forcing linebackers to compensate for lost ground.

Despite these shortcomings, Benton’s struggles weren’t rooted in effort or awareness so much as in the physical realities of playing interior defensive line in the NFL. Too often, he was asked to absorb double teams or hold firm against downhill concepts without the lower‑body power needed to withstand that initial surge — a flaw that may have been exacerbated by Teryl Austin’s defensive structure.

When he lost leverage early in the rep, he lacked the mass and functional strength to re‑anchor, leading to situations where he was driven off his spot or washed laterally out of the play. For a player whose game is built on quickness, hand violence, and penetration, the adjustment to being a true every‑down run defender proved to be a steeper climb.

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What makes Benton’s 2025 season so intriguing, though, is that these flaws didn’t overshadow the flashes of what he could become with refinement. His hand usage remained advanced for a player his age, and his ability to disrupt blocking schemes with his first step created problems even on plays where he didn’t finish the tackle. The foundation of a complete interior defender is already present — the pass‑rush upside, the motor, the instincts.

The question now is whether he can pair those strengths with improved anchoring, better leverage discipline, and the added functional strength needed to stay on the field in all situations. That’s the leap the Steelers are counting on as he enters a pivotal fourth season.