Steelers Completely Ignored Warning Signs Surrounding Recent Second-Round Draft Pick

The Pittsburgh Steelers have made a handful of risky draft picks ever since Omar Khan was named general manager. Instead of going for low-ceiling guys like Pittsburgh had done a lot in previous years to fill needs, he has tried to find guys with the highest potential to come in and develop into superstars. That is also the plan with new first-round pick Max Iheanachor, as he is not expected to be the Week 1 starter as he slowly learns how the NFL works. That should be the case for the future as well. 

Apparently, that potential high-risk, high-reward methodology includes sometimes throwing away bad games. On the latest episode of Steel City Insider, Jim Wexell explained how the Steelers dismissed a bad sign from one of the guys that they had just drafted.

"You know, I remember questioning [Keeanu Benton's] run stopping ability when he came out of Wisconsin," Wexell said. "I said 'Man, he got chewed up by Ohio State,' and the answer was, 'Ohio State chewed up a lot of players that day.' Well, I mean, now he's in the NFL. I think they're a little bit better than Ohio State. Maybe not much, but still. I mean, that was no answer. But that's what we've gotten."

There has been a lot of talk about Keeanu Benton's value as an interior defensive lineman in recent years, like he should get a nice contract, or get dealt away for a first-round pick. However, Wexell brought up concerns about the run defense across the defense starting with the former second-round pick. That aspect of his game has been somewhat of a concern throughout his entire NFL career.

Benton stagnated hard in the 2024 season, but he bounced back nicely as a quality pass rusher in 2025. He racked up career highs in nearly every category including sacks, tackles, tackles for loss, and quarterback hits. There's clearly been improvement, but there is still the concern of his ability to stop the run, which Wexell has had since he was a prospect in the first place. 

It is true that the Ohio State Buckeyes do chew up a lot of opposing players. However, that doesn't mean that a team should just throw that game tape out. They can still use that to see exactly how they exploited someone like Benton. If they can figure out his weaknesses, NFL offensive coordinators definitely can. Clearly, Pittsburgh was not the least bit fazed by this problematic match.

Steelers Put Benton In A Spot That Exposed His Weaknesses

On top of that, the Steelers doubled down on their belief that Benton's issues in the run game were nothing to worry about. Instead of making him a 3-tech where he thrives, they stuck him at nose tackle. That position is reserved for big bodies that can single-handedly eliminate the A gaps in the run game, and the former Wisconsin Badgers defensive tackle was not big enough to fill that role. 

In 2025, the Steelers drafted a prototypical nose tackle with the selection of Yahya Black, but they tripled down on their belief. Black was placed as the backup defensive tackle behind draft classmate Derrick Harmon while Benton continued to play nose tackle. As mentioned before, he did better as a pass rusher, but the defense as a whole was a massive problem. That includes stopping the run between the tackles. 

With a completely new coaching staff, it seems like the Steelers may be done with this little experiment. Black is expected to take over at nose tackle while Benton splits time with Harmon at the interior defensive line position next to TJ Watt. The former second-round pick will likely be on the field during obvious passing situations, so his weaknesses don't get completely exposed by offenses all across the NFL.

What do you think about the Steelers ignoring Benton's struggles against Ohio State? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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