Every year, a brand new crop of gamers rises to the ranks of the elite at their respective positions. Whether or not or not it’s due to new teaching, being unlocked in a brand new scheme or simply the final continuation of growth and progress, new gamers set up their place within the higher echelon of the NFL yearly. Over the following few days, we’ll be highlighting these gamers who’re up subsequent within the NFL hierarchy, and are candidates for a breakout season in 2024.
When outdated people speak about “biblical power”, they’re speaking about Keeanu Benton. The second-year defensive sort out from Wisconsin can play the three-technique, however is greatest suited as one of the athletic nostril tackles and one-techniques within the league. The place Benton wins proper now’s being a math changer within the run sport and utilizing his mix of energy and quickness to cross inside linemen’s faces in passing conditions.
Amongst all defensive tackles with ten or extra tackles within the run sport, Benton was seventh in Optimistic Play Price allowed at 32.7%. That implies that whereas Benton is on the sphere within the run sport, opposing offenses solely have a profitable play 32.7% of the time. As well as, when Benton is on the sphere for the Steelers, their run sport permits optimistic performs 28% of the time, in comparison with 35% when Benton is off the sphere. He’s a gifted run defender in the midst of the Steelers protection, and one which’s getting even higher.
Benton is a violent run defender, utilizing his higher physique power to uproot opposing linemen and liberate linebackers and different gamers to make tackles. Right here, he’s head up on middle Mitch Morse towards the Payments within the playoffs, and Buffalo is making an attempt to run break up zone. Benton makes Morse do the Spinaroonie and clogs the lane RB James Prepare dinner was making an attempt to run into. He’s not credited with the sort out, however you’ll be able to see his affect on the run sport. Morse positive felt it, too.
The place Pittsburgh used Benton in a very enjoyable means is by “tilting” him earlier than the snap in his alignment. Hearkening again to the times of Imply Joe Inexperienced in the midst of the Steelers’ DL, “tilting” a defensive linemen means to principally angle your defensive sort out straight into the hole. As an alternative of his complete physique being straight reverse the offensive lineman, that is what the Steelers would do with Benton:
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Benton was a terror in these tilted fronts primarily due to his terrifying mix of short-area quickness and energy. When he can get off the ball shortly, he fully wrecks store in these areas. Right here he’s angled into the A-gap towards the Cardinals, and he single-handedly destroys the entire play. When you could have a defensive sort out who can do that on a snap-by-snap foundation, it makes operating a protection a lot simpler, and it seems to be cool as hell too.
What’s tantalizing about Benton is his move rush potential. Discovering true three-down nostril tackles is extraordinarily laborious to search out, with the Giants’ Dexter Lawrence setting the usual for a three-down nostril sort out who can flip video games in each aspects. Whereas his stress fee of seven.6% and 18 pressures aren’t precisely dominant, he confirmed flashes of being a dynamic move rusher from the inside, particularly when he’s head up over a middle. When lined up as a 0 or 1-technique, Benton completed 2023 with a 9.0% stress fee, good for 14th within the NFL amongst gamers with a minimal of 5 pressures from that alignment.
The place he wins within the move rush division is when he can match the facility in his arms with the go off the snap. He has a nasty membership transfer that not solely will get himself a free run on the QB, however makes the opposing middle look completely silly. His one sack he completed 2023 with was a magnificence towards the Raiders, sending C Andre James to the shadow realm. He usually finishes off his membership transfer with a swim, taking his huge arms over the unsuspecting linemen on his technique to the QB. If he can constantly put these things collectively, he really turns into a power within the center for Pittsburgh:
Benton loves that club-swim mixture, and one of many issues that makes it work is his lateral quickness. On the NFL Mix, Benton posted a 7.34 3-cone drill time, placing him within the eightieth percentile for all inside defensive linemen. This interprets to the sphere since you see his capability to shortly change instructions and momentum when he goes for the membership transfer. It’s as a lot about energy as it’s lateral change of course, and Benton has each of these constructed into his physique of labor. Once more, he’s over the nostril right here and easily discards the middle, forcing a fast throw.
The Steelers have excessive expectations for Benton going into yr two. After a full NFL offseason and coaching, head coach Mike Tomlin is worked up about Benton’s future (per The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo): “I’m actually excited in regards to the prospects of his future,” Tomlin mentioned in his season-ending information convention. “He’s actually gifted. I feel he’s able to being dominant sooner reasonably than later. The place Benton can enhance is in ending the sacks after creating stress. Just one sack regardless of the quantity of stress he will get has to enhance going into 2024, and he might use extra golf equipment within the golf bag to work with as a move rusher. Nevertheless, with the manufacturing beginning to come and the athleticism to match, Benton goes to be a power in years to return.
