Wisconsin Badgers fans who watched last year’s team play know how important DL Keeanu Benton was to the team’s success. The defense was quite good when Benton was on the field, and then struggled to stop anything when he went to the sideline.
The defensive lineman registered 35 tackles, 10 tackles-for-loss and 4.5 sacks for the Badgers in 2022. I’d argue his value to the team isn’t close to fully represented with those numbers.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers wisely selected Benton in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Since stepping on the field Week 1, he’s already made a sizable impact.
It took until last night’s contest for the former Badger to register his first career sack, though. He quickly cut through the offensive line late in the third quarter and wrapped up Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garrappolo.
Big man, big hit! Rookie @keeanu_benton with a massive sack for the @steelers 💪
📺: #PITvsLV on NBC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/oKZBIH1jw0 pic.twitter.com/QM8wJEmelS— NFL (@NFL) September 25, 2023
Benton’s stat line this season now includes six total tackles and that sack from last night.