Steelers A to Z: Keeanu Benton looking to make mark as starter on defensive front

Editor’s note: From now until reporting day to training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2025 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with at least two players each day between June 12 and July 23. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

DT KEEANU BENTON

Experience/age: 3rd season, 23 years old

Contract status: $1.999 million cap hit, signed through 2026

The past: The second of two second-round picks for the Steelers in the 2023 NFL Draft, Benton has appeared in all 34 games the past two seasons. He has made 23 starts, including 14 last season. He played 59% of the defensive snaps, with most coming at nose tackle in the base defense.

The Steelers selected Benton because of a need to get younger in the trenches on defense. That process continued this season with Derrick Harmon coming aboard in the first round and Yahya Black in the fifth. He totaled one sack and 36 tackles in each of his two seasons, and the Steelers would be happy if he spends more time in the opposing backfield.

2025 outlook: That the Steelers used two of their seven draft picks on defensive linemen shouldn’t be taken as any sign of dissatisfaction with Benton. He is expected to form the nucleus of a starting defensive front along with Cameron Heyward and Harmon. He also doesn’t turn 24 until later this summer.

Still, it is an important year for the 6-foot-4, 309-pounder from Wisconsin. Although the Steelers released top backup nose tackle Montravius Adams, they added veteran Daniel Ekuale in free agency to push for playing time. Benton’s goal is to show he can be a three-down player who doesn’t leave the field when the Steelers go to subpackages.