Steelers' Young Defensive Lineman Is Not Seen As A "Realistic" Long-Term Replacement For Cameron Heyward

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been compared and contrasted to the Super Bowl LIX champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, for a while now. The Eagles won the season by playing the type of football Pittsburgh tries to play: elite defense, strong run game, and a passing game that steps up when it needs to. The Steelers have the blueprint in place; they just need to get to work and make it happen on a personnel level. They already have invested lots of resources into the offensive side of the trenches. Now it's time to focus on the defensive side.

While Cameron Heyward proved that he can still play at a high level, he only has a couple more years left in the NFL. The Steelers may start looking for his future replacement soon. There is one player already on the team that has been seen as potential candidate, but that might not be the case, as Chris Mack says on Kaboly + Mack.

"I do understand where you need someone else who can play inside," explains Mack. "If [the Steelers] look at, for example, Keeanu Benton as being the long-term replacement for [Cameron Heyward], like that's not realistic. He seems like a good player, but he's not a long-term replacement for Cam."

Keeanu Benton was seen as an undersized defensive tackle that could play in each position on the interior line, but his development seemed to stall out in his second year in the league, as many of his numbers are about the same as they were in his rookie season, and he played a lot more snaps in 2024. 

With defensive end Larry Ogunjobi being pegged as a cap casualty target, Benton could slide over to his position to fill his shoes, which would give the Steelers a chance to draft a bigger player that better fits that 0-tech mold. That could work for all parties, but there is still the question about what to do about the captain's incoming farewell.

Heyward proved to be a true threat again, as he finished the 2024 campaign with eight sacks and a career-high 11 passes batted down. He is still the vocal leader of the defense. Filling his shoes will not be an easy task. The Steelers could benefit from having a plan to figure that out whether they look for his future replacement now or later. 

If Benton continues to stagnate, the Steelers may have to search for his replacement as well. Of course, you can't consider someone with problems with developing to be the future face of the unit, as Mack said. If they truly want to be anything like the Eagles, they have to be proactive and try to make something happen. 

Defensive line is seen as one of the major needs of the team currently, and there should be plenty of options available for them. They could go with a nose tackle that comes in and plays now, or maybe a developmental piece for any of the interior positions -- or something else entirely.

Steelers Should Be Guided By The Eagles

Assistant General Manager Andy Weidl has been known for his philosophy of building in the trenches. That worked well for the Eagles, as they dominated the Super Bowl by keeping their quarterback protected and making Patrick Mahomes' night miserable without even blitzing. That is what the Steelers strive to be.

In the 2023 and 2024 drafts, the Steelers have spent five draft picks on offensive linemen, including three picks in the first two rounds. Now, it's time to focus on the other side of the trenches. They need players that can step up and pressure the opposing quarterback, even if TJ Watt isn't getting home. Expect one of the first two picks in the 2025 draft for Pittsburgh to be a defensive lineman.

What do you think about Benton not being the long-term solution to Heyward's eventual retirement? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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