Keeanu

Benton

It’s an upgrade from Wednesday’s DNP. Depending on how optimistic Friday’s practice status is, Benton will likely either find himself questionable for Week 6 or pulled off the injury report entirely on Friday.

Benton suffered the ankle injury in Week 5 against the Colts. The Steelers defensive tackle, who signed a four-year, $72 million contract extension in August, has had a quiet season statistically while being double-teamed at the highest rate of any defensive tackle in the NFL. Benton missing time would be another blow to a defensive line already playing without second-year defensive tackle Derrick Harmon.

The deal was first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Benton, who turned 25 in July, is entering his fourth season in the league after the Steelers selected him in the second-round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Coming off a career-best season that saw him record 5.5 sacks, Benton would’ve been set to hit free agency next offseason without a contract extension. Now Benton joins LB Nick Herbig, TE Darnell Washington and K Chris Boswell on the list of Steelers to receive extensions this offseason. With his $18 million per year contract, Benton is now the highest-paid defensive lineman in Steelers history.

Kaboly and his co-host, Chris Mack, were wondering aloud why the Steelers have not yet signed CB Joey Porter to an extension this offseason when the conversation shifted to Benton. Both Kaboly and Mack were seemingly of the opinion that signing Benton, 24, to an extension does not appear to be a priority for the front office. Since joining the Steelers as a 2023 second-round pick, Benton ranks fifth on the team in sacks (nine) and quarterback pressures (75), 10th in solo tackles (82) and ties for sixth in TFLs (13). He is a capable defender, who should stick around in the league, but he may not earn a lucrative extension from team that drafted.

Benton, the 49th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, signed a contract that includes guaranteed money in the third year -- an unprecedented deal, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Benton performed well at the NFL Combine after serving as the anchor of Wisconsin’s defensive line, recording 60 tackles in his final two collegiate seasons. He should be a plus for a Steelers defense graded by PFF as 2022’s tenth best run-defending unit.

The Senior Bowl standout boosted his stock at every step of the pre-Draft process, also posting an 8.65 RAS at the Combine. His 3-cone time in the 91st-percentile reflects his lacrosse background, while the explosion indicated by his 85th-percentile Broad Jump is apparent in his play. While amassing 60 tackles in his final two seasons in Madison, Benton showed great ability to anchor in the middle of a stout Badger defense. He has a great punch that knocks many offensive linemen off their spots while his chops and rips have martial art precision. Despite not being put in a position to put up multiple sacks, he still ended up with six sacks in his junior and senior seasons, resulting in All-B1G honors. The biggest problem with Benton is his tendency to play with a high pad level thus losing his anchor. He’ll join a Steelers defense with a rush defense graded by PFF as last season’s tenth best.

“Keeanu’s special,” Kolodziej told The Athletic. “He’s got great athleticism. A really good understanding of pressure and how to use his body and use blockers, momentum and position against them. Really, the guy has an upside. Not many guys come through here with the talent and ability and the ceiling that he has.” Benton (6'4/315) appeared in a total of 20 games during his first two seasons in Madison, accounting for 20 total tackles (12 solo, 4.0 for loss), 2.0 sacks and one forced fumble. The presence of he and Bryson Williams, who’s back to full strength after suffering a knee injury, is one of the reasons why many expect the Badgers to bounce back after going 4-3 in 2020.