Keeanu Benton
Keeanu Benton (born July 17, 2001) is an American football nose tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Wisconsin.
| No. 95 – Pittsburgh Steelers | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Nose tackle |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | July 17, 2001 Janesville, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight: | 315 lb (143 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Joseph A. Craig (Janesville) |
| College: | Wisconsin (2019–2022) |
| NFL Draft: | 2023 / Round: 2 / Pick: 49 |
| Career history | |
| |
| Roster status: | Unsigned draft pick |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Career NFL statistics as of 2023 | |
| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |
Early life and high school
Benton grew up in Janesville, Wisconsin and attended Joseph A. Craig High School.[1] As a senior, he made 75 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks, and one fumble recovery.[2] Benton committed to play college football at Wisconsin over an offer from Iowa.[3]
College career
Benton played in 13 games and made six starts at nose tackle as a freshman and finished the season with 12 tackles, four tackles for loss, and two sacks.[4][5] He played in seven games and made seven starts at nose tackle during his sophomore season.[6] He was named second team All-Big Ten Conference as a junior after making 25 tackles with five tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.[7]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3+3⁄4 in (1.92 m) |
309 lb (140 kg) |
33+7⁄8 in (0.86 m) |
9+3⁄4 in (0.25 m) | 5.08 s | 1.79 s | 2.95 s | 4.65 s | 7.34 s | 29.5 in (0.75 m) | 9 ft 3 in (2.82 m) | 25 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine[8][9] | ||||||||||||
Benton was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round, 49th overall, of the 2023 NFL Draft.[10]
References
- "Craig graduate Keeanu Benton bucked the odds and played key role as a true freshman at Wisconsin". Janesville Gazette. January 27, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- Temple, Jesse (April 8, 2019). "Imposing, athletic and eager: Why DT Keeanu Benton could see the field at Wisconsin sooner rather than later". The Athletic. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- Galloway, Jason (May 12, 2018). "Janesville Craig defensive tackle Keeanu Benton reportedly commits to Badgers". APNews.com. Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- "Badgers nose tackle Keeanu Benton working to make himself game ready as true freshman". Wisconsin State Journal. August 5, 2019. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- Vantress, David (August 6, 2021). "Janesville Craig grad Keeanu Benton ready to dominate for Wisconsin Badgers". The Janesville Gazette. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- "Badgers nose tackle Keeanu Benton likely to return in 2022". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. December 14, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- "Keeanu Benton vital to Wisconsin defensive line in final season". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. August 27, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- "Keeanu Benton Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
- "2023 NFL Draft Scout Keeanu Benton College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
- "Steelers select Keeanu Benton in the second round". Steelers.com. April 28, 2023.