Over his nearly two-decade run with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Tomlin has gotten the absolute most out of many players who had no business being as good as they were. It is a big reason why the team can't seem to finish below .500, no matter how good or bad the roster talent is.
While that is a valuable skill for any coach to have, where he has failed at times is to do the same for elite talents. Sure, T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward have been incredibly productive under his tutelage, but you could easily argue that they could be even better with a more diverse and creative scheme.
He has also struggled to put players in their optimal position at times. The most egregious example recently has been using 2023 second-round pick Keeanu Benton as a nose tackle, so much so that it may be time to trade him before he loses any more value.
Pittsburgh Steelers' usage of Keeanu Benton is wrecking his chance to be a star
The Steelers' selection of Keeanu Benton in 2023 was widely viewed as an excellent pick, largely due to his ability as a pass rusher. His quickness and powerful frame made him a handful for any interior lineman to handle at the college level.
Those traits have shown up at times in his two seasons in the NFL, but the Steelers have stunted his development by playing him at nose tackle for a significant amount of his snaps.
He has played a combined 407 snaps at nose tackle over the last two seasons, according to Pro Football Focus. That is by far the most of any interior defender on the team, despite a skillset that is ill-fitted for the position.
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He lacks both the size and the technique to handle the frequent double teams that are a certainty when playing the nose. They haven't even asked him to bulk up to make him a better fit for the role, and all signs point to him being the primary nose again in 2025.
The veteran defensive lineman should be used much more like the Steelers plan to use rookie Derrick Harmon, as a true defensive end in their 3-4 front. A trio of Benton, Harmon, and Cam Heyward as ends with someone else (perhaps massive rookie defensive tackle Yahya Black) at nose tackle would be incredible, but that looks like just a dream at this point.
Maybe Benton will still manage to break out in 2025 regardless of his role, but the cards are being stacked against him by his franchise. If I were General Manager Omar Khan, I would be looking to get value for him while I still can.
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