Steelers’ Larry Ogunjobi Issues Warning on Keeanu Benton’s Rookie Season

Getty Pittsburgh Steelers veteran Larry Ogunjobi delivered a message on what to expect from defensive lineman Keeanu Benton during his rookie season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers defensive line is in a bit of a transition. Veterans Cameron Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi are expected to lead the group during the 2023 season, but the team would also like youngsters such as DeMarvin Leal and Isaiah Loudermilk to emerge in bigger roles this fall.

Rookie defensive lineman Keeanu Benton is another name to watch. At least that’s what Ogunjobi told Steelers.com’s Missi Matthews.

“I think that his skillset, what he’s able to do, how he moves, I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people,” Ogunjobi said of Benton. “I’m just really excited to watch him work.

“He has that explosion. He’s quick, he’s twitchy. I give him high praises, but I just see it. I see a kid who wants to work and who wants to be great.

“I feel like he has a super high ceiling.”

The Steelers drafted Benton at No. 49 overall in the second round of this spring’s draft.

Expectations for Keeanu Benton’s Rookie Season

It’s always good for one of the team’s rookies to receive praise from a veteran player.

But Ogunjobi’s complimentary words for Benton were perhaps a little extra meaningful given that playing with explosiveness was one of the question marks NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein tagged Benton with through the draft process.

Playing four years at Wisconsin, Benton recorded 81 total tackles, including 19 for loss and 9 sacks in 39 career college games. He also had 4 pass defenses, 2 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries.

Before the draft, Zierlein projected him as a second-round prospect who needed “to become a more consistently impactful force in the middle to make noise as an NFL starter.”

Benton arrives in Pittsburgh with the chance to play regular snaps as a rookie at nose tackle. Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora predicted Benton to make a similar impact as Javon Hargrave did during his rookie season in 2016.

That season, Hargrave posted 27 combined tackles, including 5 for loss, 3 quarterback hits and 2 sacks. In 2021, Hargrave became a Pro Bowler and last season, he recorded a career-high 11 sacks.

“Coming from a bigger school than Hargrave, who had to adjust to such a big jump in competition, in addition to a Steelers’ system that is more nose tackle friendly than it was in 2016, Benton could be even more productive out of the gate,” wrote Kozora.

Larry Ogunjobi Says ‘It Felt Natural’ to Return to Steelers

Entering the offseason, the Steelers possessed Heyward and several unproven commodities along the defensive line.

General manager Omar Khan added depth with Armon Watts and Breiden Fehoko then threw Benton into the mix on Day 2 of the draft.

But the offseason move that will likely have the biggest impact on 2023 was bringing back Ogunjobi. The Steelers signed the 29-year-old to a three-year deal worth $28.75 million.

“It felt natural,” Ogunjobi said about his return to the Steelers. “I think they took great care of me. They understood my situation. They always told me that they weren’t nearsighted in this and that meant a lot to me, just coming from the situation I was in prior.

“But I mean, they welcomed me with open arms. They allowed me to develop and grow into a system.”

Ogunjobi began his career as a third-round pick for the Cleveland Browns. After his rookie contract expired, he signed a one-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals.

The 29-year-old described landing his first long-term free agency deal with the Steelers as “kind of funny” after playing five years in Ohio. But there isn’t a place he’d rather be now.

“Being able to come here and see the culture and what they’re building here, I understood that was special. It was something I wanted to be a part of.”