As the 2026 season draws closer, the Pittsburgh Steelers would be wise to start locking up their bevy of 2023 draft picks who are worthy of second contracts. Nick Herbig, Darnell Washington, Joey Porter Jr., and Keeanu Benton have all become either full-time starters or impact role players since joining the Steelers, and all have a case to stick around for the long haul.
Among that group, Benton stands out as the hardest to gauge in terms of value. While he is coming off his most productive season with 5.5 sacks and a career-high 782 snaps, he has been tasked with being the team's primary nose tackle despite being ill-suited for the job.
With Mike Tomlin and Teryl Austin both exiting this offseason, however, new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has the opportunity to give Benton the role he is clearly most comfortable and effective in: Getting into the backfield.
Keeanu Benton could finally fully break out under new Pittsburgh Steelers DC Patrick Graham
Last season, Benton lined up as a nose tackle on 234 snaps according to Pro Football Focus, which ranked fifth among all players. For a player who is undersized for that role and relies more on quickness and acceleration than strength, it felt like a disservice to both Benton and the Steelers defense as a whole.
When Pittsburgh drafted the 6'5", 336-pound Yahya Black in the fifth round of the 2025 draft, I thought they had finally found their solution at nose tackle and would move Benton off the spot for the most part. While Black did soak up 77 snaps there, he never took over the role completely.
Now that Graham is in charge of the defense, there is hope that Benton will be used more as a true defensive end in his 3-4 base defense. While he may never be a true presence as a run defender, moving him farther away from the very middle of the defense should make him more effective.
Benton is still worthy of a second contract despite his misusage thus far in his career, but he could become far more expensive if he is properly deployed in 2026. It would be wise for general manager Omar Khan to try to lock him down now before he potentially prices himself out of what the Steelers can afford.
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