2023 NFL Draft: Keeanu Benton - Wisconsin Defensive Tackle
Keeanu Benton- Wisconsin
Strengths:
1. Arm Over - His arm over is rapid and often effective, allowing him to instantly penetrate the backfield. He is very effective in one-on-one situations with several moves that can win him the rep, but his arm over is the most reliable and impressive.
2. Getting Off of Blocks - Benton can consistently fill two gaps because of how efficiently he can pull off of blocks to either side. He rotates quickly and has good spacing most of the time. His spacing could improve a bit with more consistent hand use, but he is a true interior run stuffer.
3. Leverage - He often initiates contact favorably, whether that means keeping his pads low or gaining a step aside his opponent.
Weaknesses:
1. Hand Placement - In the pass rush, his hands are not always used well. They are quick and typically effective enough when defending the run (particularly against zone blocking), but his pass rush skillset would be significantly improved with better grip, timing, and technique. He has occasionally solid reps with perfect placement, but he needs to refine his every down pass rush technique with his hands.
2. Aggression - He is strong and has a great bull rush when he elects to use it, but lacks that raw aggression that could allow him to potentially pressure the pocket if he just drove forward and used his hands more violently.
3. Release Timing - His first step is occasionally a bit behind the others on the line. This is not always the case, but it is worth monitoring as a guy who already lacks twitch at the position.
Grade: Late Second
Pro Comparison: Tim Settle
Settle may have better burst, but Benton is a better run defender with superior length and raw strength.
Alignment:
A-Gap - Benton will be a nose tackle in both odd and even fronts in the NFL. He plays shade very well, and is solid on every down over center.
B-Gap - He is a good run stuffer from the B-Gap with pass rush upside. He would be a great complement an interior pass rush specialist.
4/5-Tech - Benton has decent bend for his size an can provide value lining up over the tackle at times, but he is mostly an interior player.
Attributes (Grade/10):
Attributes | Bend | 3 |
Burst | 3.5 | |
Motor | 6 |
Bend: While he gets around the outside decently in the pass rush, his body rarely angles.
Burst: He is not the twitchiest athlete and his acceleration is more ramping than immediate, but he still is relatively quick and initiates with great power. He does lack closing speed once in the pocket, which may limit his utilization on passing downs.
Motor: He will occasionally slow down on plays in the passing game. This may stem from conditioning as opposed to effort and is something to monitor moving forward.
Skillset | Pass Rush | 5.5 |
Run Defense | 9 | |
Coverage | NA |
Pass Rush: This grade could catapult up, but he is not an effective every down pass rusher from what he has shown on tape.
Run Defense: His run defense is among the best in class. He understands how to plug two adjacent gaps when needed, and is excellent at penetrating zone blocks on outside runs. While this was not a huge issue, his anchor could be moved unwillingly at times. Especially if he is going to play nose instead of 3-tech, he may need to gain a bit of leg strength and weight.
Coverage: No coverage snaps.
Hands | Placement | 4 |
Effectiveness | 6 | |
Quickness | 9 |
Placement: Hand placement is inconsistent to the point where it appears that he never learned much technique. If he refines his technique and implement it consistently, he will be more productive on every down.
Effectiveness: He has some very solid moves at the line and his hands are effective on certain plays, but they could be so much more so. Technical development will be needed at the next level.
Quickness: His hands are extremely quick, allowing him to perform quick rips, clubs, and chops with great efficiency. His placement is not always intentional, but his speed should allow him to pick up the respective technique quickly.
Line Control | Strength | 8.5 |
Balance | 8 |
Strength: His raw power is exhibited on the majority of games. There are still plays where he gets pushed around, but his upper body strength is where it needs to be by NFL standards.
Balance: Balance is not a concern, but he gets knocked to the ground from linemen who catch his side on double teams a bit too often.
Pass-Rush Decisions | Versatility | 7.5 |
Technique | 5 | |
Execution | 6 |
Versatility: Benton is actually more versatile when rushing the passer than much of his tape indicates. He has an excellent arm over, and there are reps of him winning with many different moves that incorporate both power and quickness. If he develops a better pass rush plan and improves his hand usage and overall technique, then he could have solid pass rush upside to become an every down player.
Technique: Technique is decent on some plays, and it is nowhere to be found on others. He needs to clean up his consistency more than anything. He makes a huge impact on plays where he knows what he is going to do ahead of time.
Execution: His production in the run game is good for a DT, but his all-around production could be even better with some slight molding of what he brings on every play.
Traits | Agility | 3 |
Athleticism | 8 | |
Length | 9 |
Agility: His lateral movement is not great, but he can follow outside plays when needed.
Athleticism: The two-time state qualifier for wrestler had a record of 48-2, and finishing as the Division-1 runner-up at 285lbs. His power on the field is undeniable, and he exhibits good movement skills for the position. While he lacks twitch, his decent athleticism is overshadowed by the freakier defensive tackles in this class.
Full Report:
Benton is a stout run defender who can play nose, shade, and 3-tech at the next level. He has tremendous upper body strength and decent length, allowing him to penetrate zone blocking schemes in the run game and consistently plug at least one gap. His hands are very quick, and he has a couple of effective pass rush moves in his arsenal. If he wants to become an every down player at the next level, he will need to clean up his hand placement and overall pass rush technique. He lacks twitch off the line and is prone to losing balance into double teams, and his anchor is not as sturdy as it could be with his legs clearly inferior in strength to his upper body. Despite some glaring weaknesses, he is still worthy of a mid day two pick. His run defense is outstanding, and he is a plug-and-play prospect who can immediately sure up a defensive line regardless of whether it is an even or odd front. He is not going to ever be an elite pass rusher, but has the tools to improve enough to become an effective every down interior defensive lineman.
NFL Projection:
Benton will likely be selected later on day two to be a first and second down interior run defender. He will help a team significantly if he can complement an interior pass rusher from 3-tech. He could also develop pass rush skills of his own if he works on his pass rush plan, technique, and timing with a good coach at the next level. If he plays nose tackle, he can be more effective if he gains more lower body strength and develops a better anchor to match his upper body power.
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