Keeanu Benton is facing a pivotal season, heading into his third year, but his coaches still expect greatness from him. Though his lack of traditional production numbers raises some red flags, they see the tape. He isn\u2019t a finished product at this early stage of his career, but DL coach Karl Dunbar has no concerns about what he sees out of his young nose tackle. Or about what he doesn\u2019t see.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe just has to work on finishing plays,\u201d Dunbar said of Benton via the Steelers\u2019 media department, a recurring narrative<\/a>. \u201cSack productivity has to get up. He does a great job of hitting the quarterback, but until you put the skins on the wall, that\u2019s all they\u2019ve got.\u201d<\/p>\n A second-round pick in 2023, Keeanu Benton looks great in uniform and often after the snap. But while he can get into the backfield, his two career sacks show that he isn\u2019t finishing plays<\/a>. He has 16 quarterback hits, so he is getting there, but the quarterback is escaping with his skin.<\/p>\n Another concern some have about Benton is whether the Steelers have him in the correct position. Nominally playing the nose tackle role, he isn\u2019t as large as some of his predecessors. Not all of them, though, and Dunbar pointed that out in a hurry when reporters brought that up.<\/p>\n \u201cHe changed his body well. He\u2019s still 310,\u201d he said of Benton, which was roughly his drafted weight. Dunbar added, \u201cHe\u2019s still 310 and he\u2019s got big, heavy hands. He\u2019s had a great offseason where he really took care of his body.\u201d<\/p>\n As reporters continued the line of questioning, he doubled down on Keeanu Benton being the right size.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s awesome. For him, it fits his body stock,\u201d Dunbar insisted. \u201cWe had a nose tackle here who was 295 pounds\u2014[Javon] Hargrave\u2014and he left and made a whole bunch of money. It\u2019s just how your body\u2019s built and what your body\u2019s built for.\u201d<\/p>\n Hargrave was indeed smaller than Benton, but he managed to make it work. In fact, he\u2019s had a very successful post-Steelers career, something they hope Benton never has a chance to experience. In his first four seasons post-Pittsburgh<\/a>, Hargrave recorded 30 sacks with 32 tackles for loss and multiple Pro Bowls.<\/p>\n Back in Pittsburgh, the Steelers are counting on revitalizing their defensive line. To that end, they drafted DE Derrick Harmon in the first round and added DT Yahya Black in Round 5. However, that revitalization must also come from within, specifically with Keeanu Benton taking his game to the next level.<\/p>\n