Steelers' Keeanu Benton Has Seen Massive Growth Due To Rookie Defensive Linemen: "It Helps Me More"

The Pittsburgh Steelers may have invested heavily in overhauling the defense in the 2025 offseason, but they knew that that was not the only way that they should expect to grow. There are still a handful of young starters on the team, and they were expected to each take a big step forward individually and as part of the collective unit. So far, the results have been very mixed, with some amazing performances and some absolute duds on the field. There definitely needs to be more consistency at this point. 

One of the brighter spots so far has been undersized nose tackle Keeanu Benton. He recently explained how having to help out the two rookie defensive linemen helped him become a better player himself, as reported by Christopher Carter of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

"It helps me more too," Benton said. "I'm in the playbook that much more because I know I'll get questions from the younger guys. Knowing their positions has helped me play my [role] better."

It would definitely be tough for Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black to learn their roles on the defensive line if Benton was not entirely sure of what's going on -- especially for Black, who is expected to play both defensive tackle and nose tackle. The former second-round pick has also played both positions, especially in nickel packages when there is no nose tackle in the formation. 

Harmon has been one of the better rookies on the defensive side of the ball in the NFL through the first nine weeks of 2025, even though he missed the first two weeks due to injury. Despite playing about half of the snaps on average in each game, he has two sacks, a fumble recovery, a pass defended, four quarterback hits, and a tackle for loss. He has found many ways to impact the game. 

Black has been more of a depth piece, as he got nearly all of his stats in the first three weeks when Harmon was recovering, then eventually making his debut. The only way that he can get on the field is to keep learning as much as he can about both nose tackle and defensive end/tackle. Even though he may be trying to take Benton's job eventually, the third-year man is still being a good mentor for him.

Defensive captain Cameron Heyward has also been a good mentor, but he does not play the exact same position as either of those three. He exclusively plays on the defensive right side, while the others are far more versatile. Heyward can definitely help out, but Benton is more experienced with playing in the middle and the left, so the rookies look up to him in that regard. 

Meanwhile, Benton is on pace to break nearly every single-season individual record that he has personally set so far. He already has three tackles for losses and 3.5 sacks, which are career bests for him despite only playing eight games. He was a big part in shutting down the Indianapolis Colts' elite rushing attack in Week 9, and more great things are expected out of him.

Steelers' Long-Term Plans On Defensive Line

Heyward has already admitted that he has one season max left in him, so he will likely retire when his contract expires after 2026. Also at that time, Benton will be a free agent, so he needs to keep proving that he is the great run stopper that the Steelers drafted him to be. Harmon and Black will only get more playing time, and if the 2023 second-round pick regresses again, he could easily be replaced soon.

What do you think about Benton's play improving due to him helping out the rookies? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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