Benton yet another tweener?

[WindyCitySteel]

In the Steelers never-ending quest for position flexibility, they may have ended up with another jack of all trades, master of none. Heard talk that they may draft a real NT this year and push him to a 5-tech/3-4 DE position. Benton was reportedly terrible vs. the run this season.

This team has had a really hard time drafting and developing interior 3-4 DL going back to the Noll era. Top picks like Heyward, Tuitt, and Snack have worked out, one 4th rounder in A-A-Ron Smith, Joel Steed in the 3rd all the way back in 1992, and a ton of failed picks, mostly mid to late rounders.

https://steelersdepot.com/2025/02/ray-fittipaldo-i-just-dont-know-how-keeanu-benton-fits-in-steelers-defensive-front/

[NorthCoast]

They are playing Benton out of position.

Also, I noticed that Adams had more snaps in the last month of the season while Larry O. sat, and that correlates with getting shredded on the ground. He is worse than Larry O. and O. wasn't great this season. I don't understand how Adams makes the roster every season.

In the Steelers defense, the good DT/NT go very early in every draft.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

In the Steelers never-ending quest for position flexibility, they may have ended up with another jack of all trades, master of none. Heard talk that they may draft a real NT this year and push him to a 5-tech/3-4 DE position. Benton was reportedly terrible vs. the run this season.

This team has had a really hard time drafting and developing interior 3-4 DL going back to the Noll era. Top picks like Heyward, Tuitt, and Snack have worked out, one 4th rounder in A-A-Ron Smith, Joel Steed in the 3rd all the way back in 1992, and a ton of failed picks, mostly mid to late rounders.

https://steelersdepot.com/2025/02/ra...fensive-front/

Add Keisel in the seventh. Otherwise, the team seems to like projects. We always talked about how the Steelers edge rushers could be drafted in later rounds because the 3-4 OLB is a different profile than a 4-3 DE. Same goes with the other front 7 positions too, and the 3 man line has been a basket of mediocre with a few gems. I think the problem with Benton is that he shouldn't be a nose, and played best his rookie year when lined up at end.

[WindyCitySteel]

They are playing Benton out of position.

Also, I noticed that Adams had more snaps in the last month of the season while Larry O. sat, and that correlates with getting shredded on the ground. He is worse than Larry O. and O. wasn't great this season. I don't understand how Adams makes the roster every season.

In the Steelers defense, the good DT/NT go very early in every draft.

Even if a pure NT fell would the Steelers take him over a guy who can play all DL positions?

DJ Reader was a fifth round pick in 2016, Steelers took Hargrave in the 3rd.

Dexter Lawrence was the 17th pick in 2019, Steelers took Bush at 1.10.

[NorthCoast]

Add Keisel in the seventh. Otherwise, the team seems to like projects. We always talked about how the Steelers edge rushers could be drafted in later rounds because the 3-4 OLB is a different profile than a 4-3 DE. Same goes with the other front 7 positions too, and the 3 man line has been a basket of mediocre with a few gems. I think the problem with Benton is that he shouldn't be a nose, and played best his rookie year when lined up at end.

I think the team overestimates their abilities to develop players. And honestly, that is on Tomlin because he is the one with most influence when deciding on 'projects'.

If the Steelers cannot consistently improve their drafting with Kahn in charge we could be in for a long era of doldrums.

[Northern_Blitz]

Even if a pure NT fell would the Steelers take him over a guy who can play all DL positions?

DJ Reader was a fifth round pick in 2016, Steelers took Hargrave in the 3rd.

Dexter Lawrence was the 17th pick in 2019, Steelers took Bush at 1.10.

If a pure NT isn't going to play in nickle or dime (not necessarily true, but possible), then their value probably isn't high enough to select in the first or second round IMO.

Using a 1st round pick for a guy who's going to play maybe 40% of the snaps on defense isn't good asset allocation IMO.

[hackjam]

To me, it's not even particularly clear what the profile is anymore. Heyward's play for the last decade didn't really look much like Aaron Smith's in the decade before. Maybe Tuitt was closer to it? I don't really remember.

Austin ran a 4-3 in Detroit and in Cincy. Tomlin ran a 4-3 in Minnesota and grew up in the Kiffin/Dungy defense. All of the Cowher/Lebeau lineage is gone. Seems like they're trying to hang on to the 3-4 "base" (I realize the Nickel is really the base) for whatever reason but haven't had the personnel up front to run it in about 15 years aside from Hargrave's last two years when he finally settled in and became a difference maker.

IMO it's about which scheme it's easier to get personnel for. There are very few true 0 techs anymore. A lot of 1 and 3 techs. And to a point above, they can play in subpackages and the good ones play for a decade or more. I guess maybe you could get a freak like Jalen Carter or Haloti Ngata and put them anywhere but those guys usually go in the top-10 or so picks.

[WindyCitySteel]

If a pure NT isn't going to play in nickle or dime (not necessarily true, but possible), then their value probably isn't high enough to select in the first or second round IMO.

Using a 1st round pick for a guy who's going to play maybe 40% of the snaps on defense isn't good asset allocation IMO.

Teams don’t just run on 1st down, Baltimore ran all game. Occupying blockers on passing down to free up Watt and Highsmith is valuable, too.

[Northern_Blitz]

Teams don’t just run on 1st down, Baltimore ran all game. Occupying blockers on passing down to free up Watt and Highsmith is valuable, too.

If your "pure NT" can play all 3 downs, awesome. I think that's why we drafted Benton. A guy who could be something like a NT for the few snaps we still play 3-4. But could also play in sub-packages.

But if we put out Hampton in the NFL now, I think teams would just stay in the no huddle and wear him down.

And it's those Hampton type guys I think of when someone says "pure NT". I think he'd get caught in a mismatch and offenses would make it hard for him to come off the field.

But I'm all for drafting freaks if we find one.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

But I'm all for drafting freaks if we find one.

More and more I question the ability of the staff to take the freak and put him in position to succeed. Instead, I think they'd try to pigeon hole him into the opening spot on the D. It would be great to find a young Rod Woodson, but if you then put him at nose because we need a nose tackle, then you have set your player up for failure.

*Note - this is a purely exaggerated example for effect. I do not think that Austin would make Rod Woodson a nose tackle.
**Note2 - scratch that, I'm not really sure where they'd position him.

[WindyCitySteel]

If your "pure NT" can play all 3 downs, awesome. I think that's why we drafted Benton. A guy who could be something like a NT for the few snaps we still play 3-4. But could also play in sub-packages.

But if we put out Hampton in the NFL now, I think teams would just stay in the no huddle and wear him down.

And it's those Hampton type guys I think of when someone says "pure NT". I think he'd get caught in a mismatch and offenses would make it hard for him to come off the field.

But I'm all for drafting freaks if we find one.

Benton is a tweener, too light vs. the run game. That’s the problem. And teams don’t just run on 3rd down, we played nickel vs. Baltimore’s heavy.

[Northern_Blitz]

More and more I question the ability of the staff to take the freak and put him in position to succeed. Instead, I think they'd try to pigeon hole him into the opening spot on the D. It would be great to find a young Rod Woodson, but if you then put him at nose because we need a nose tackle, then you have set your player up for failure.

*Note - this is a purely exaggerated example for effect. I do not think that Austin would make Rod Woodson a nose tackle.
**Note2 - scratch that, I'm not really sure where they'd position him.

I wish I had more faith than you.

I suppose we're doing something correctly with Porter.

And Watt was a pretty big question mark when he came into the league. And it seems like there are things he can do on the right side that he can't do on the left. And we bumped a team legend to play him. Which burned that relationship.

But I agree that there aren't many examples since Watt. And that was a long time ago now.

[Northern_Blitz]

Benton is a tweener, too light vs. the run game. That’s the problem. And teams don’t just run on 3rd down, we played nickel vs. Baltimore’s heavy.

Cam's a tweener too.

So was / is Hargrave.

Those are the guys you need in today's NFL. But I agree that they aren't easy to find. And that they will often go earlier than we pick. If there's another Dexter Lawrence around 5 or so picks before we go, should we trade up? I think it would really help the DL. Which is a huge need.

But we haven't been great at trading up for need recently.

[NorthCoast]

A guy the Steelers might have a look at; Chauncey Golston. Coming off his rookie contract, fits the mold of a Steeler FA. Perfect tweener that can play every position on the DL. He was rated about the same as Benton this year.

[Joel Buchsbaum]

In the Steelers never-ending quest for position flexibility, they may have ended up with another jack of all trades, master of none. Heard talk that they may draft a real NT this year and push him to a 5-tech/3-4 DE position. Benton was reportedly terrible vs. the run this season.

This team has had a really hard time drafting and developing interior 3-4 DL going back to the Noll era. Top picks like Heyward, Tuitt, and Snack have worked out, one 4th rounder in A-A-Ron Smith, Joel Steed in the 3rd all the way back in 1992, and a ton of failed picks, mostly mid to late rounders.

https://steelersdepot.com/2025/02/ra...fensive-front/

Benton can play. Larry O is a zero. We should sign a quality veteran free agent. Be prepared to pay for him!

I have some ideas on my upcoming 2025 mock draft and free agency thread. It will be detailed.

Tomlin can not coach the defense well ( anymore ) nor can he hire well for the DC, but us fans know that already!

In short the defense we play most the nickel / cover 3 needs adjustments.