Keeanu Benton is one of those versatile defensive linemen who can play the nose and 3-tech, and shows good athletic ability for both positions. Entering the year as one of the top defensive prospects to most draft analysts, Benton didn’t perform up to expectations in 2022 seeming to be overs an injury that he dealt with lingering throughout the year. Benton still has not shied away from any opportunity to play, performing all of the Combine Drills and at the Senior Bowl. That has to count for something.

If Benton learns how to use his hands and gets better in the trenches, he’s going to be a solid prospect. I think that he’s as strong and as athletic as he is going to be, but its all middling and closer to average than great. 

Keeanu Benton lol sure that play worked on the whiteboard pic.twitter.com/dQQLfbY0XJ

— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) March 30, 2023

Suffered a hip injury during spring practice in 2019. Suffered a minor injury in 2021. Dealt with an injury throughout the 2022 season. 

Keeanu Benton’s scouting report

Athletic Ability (45)

Athleticism: 15 

• Speed (5/7) – Excellent athlete for his size. Will be a good athlete at the position. Very quick feet. Does not have long speed. 
• Lateral Quickness (6/8) – Lateral quickness is good but not great. Can move decently in a stunt but won’t be as effective through the stunt as I would like him to be. 

Strength/Power: 20 

• Upper Body Strength (6/7) – Very strong upper body. 
• Lower Body Strength (5.5/7) – Very stout lower body. Leans on his legs at times to generate power. 
• Brute Power (5/6) – Has so much absolute power. 

Explosion/Burst: 10 

• First Step Burst (3.5/5) – First step is decent, certainly not bad. Has very quick feet and it takes him a few steps to generate momentum. Flashes the ability to get off the snap with excellent quickness. 
• Explosion (4/5) – Flashes very strong explosion. 

Lineman Mechanics (20)

Containment: 10 

• Double Team Consistency (4/5) – Can generate double team attention on his brute strength alone. 
• Double Team Win (3/5) – Has the ability to win double teams and still win penetration. So much of his ability is based on brute strength – he could be so much more dominant if he learns to use his hands and all of his other technical aspects. 

Hand Technique: 10 

• Hand Usage (2.5/5) – Doesn’t know how to use his hands very well. A lot of useless flailing kind of limits his current impact, would like to see some improvement in 2022. 
• Hand Strength (3/5) – Hand strength isn’t as strong as it should be. Doesn’t show the consistency with his punches or swipes. 

Defender Ability (25)

Tackling/Pursuit: 15

• Tackling (5/8) – Benton shows some ability to tackle – but doesn’t tend to wrap up. 
• Gap Defending (1.5/3) – Gap defending isn’t great. Should be better considering his skillset but just wasn’t impressive. 
• Pursuit (1.5/4) – Won’t pursue the play at all. Very much limited to the first line of defense. 

Instincts: 5 

• Instincts (3/5) – Instincts are average at best. I don’t see this as a strong ability. 

Pass Rush Ability: 5

• Pass Rush Consistency (3.5/5) – Can certainly generate a pass rush. Get’s into his rep and tried to use his hands. Won’t consistently compress the pocket but can find ways to impact the quarterback. 

Overall: (72) – 5th/7th Round