Keeanu Benton, IDL Wisconsin: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Benton was a three-star recruit from Craig High School in Janesville, Wis. in the class of 2019

The Wisconsin Badgers have a history of producing quality trench players on both sides of the ball. Keeanu Benton seems like he’s next in line. The senior is one of the three best interior defensive linemen in the 2023 NFL Draft.

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Keeanu Benton, IDL Wisconsin: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Senior nose tackle from Janesville, Wis.

Background: Benton was a three-star recruit from Craig High School in Janesville, Wis. in the class of 2019. He was the No. 1,238 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 1,225 for On3.com. Benton was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 76 grade out of 100. He earned All-Region and All-Big Eight Conference honors as a senior. Additionally, the Associated Press selected him for First-Team All-State honors. Benton was the Janesville Gazette All-Area Player of the Year. He finished his senior year with 75 tackles, including seven for loss with two sacks, and a fumble recovery. He qualified twice for states as a wrestler and finished as the Division 1 runner-up at 285 lbs. as a junior with a 48-2 record.

Injuries & Off-Field: Played through a minor knee injury in 2022, limping significantly vs. Michigan State (2022)

Awards: 2020 Academic All-Big Ten, 2021 Second-Team All-Big Ten (Coaches), 2022 Third-Team All-Big Ten (Coaches)

Pros: Rarely penalized, arm length meets thresholds, thick throughout frame, three-down player, fluid movement skills, some ability to dip and bend, solid change of direction skills, twitchy upper body, uses his length to separate from interior linemen, clamps and rips linemen out of their gaps, generates consistent push as a pass rusher with sustained leg drive, utilizes swats, swims, swipes, and clubs, active and violent hands, heavy and impactful hands, swim move, spin move, long-arm move, bull rush, gets his hands up to disrupt passing lanes, sheds blocks with vicious hands, cuts off reach blocks, plays through contact and flows down the line to the ball, quickness to fire through gaps, uses angles to shoot gaps, closing burst

Cons: A step below elite across the board, never played 500 defensive snaps in a season, balance is an occasional issue, elevated pad level, struggles to revive his rush plan once his momentum stops, bull rush is hit or miss, needs to continue diversifying pass rush plan, ceiling as a pass rusher, over pursues and opens cutback lanes, wish he was more consistent at the point of attack, gives significant ground to double teams, dives to try and make tackles

Overview: Benton took official measurements at the NFL Combine. He’s 6035 and weighs 309 lbs. He has 9 6/8-inch hands and 33 7/8-inch arms. Benton had an 81 6/8-inch wingspan at the Senior Bowl. He played a significant number of snaps as a nose tackle in 1-tech and 0-tech alignments at Wisconsin, but his best role at the next level is 2 or 3-tech defensive tackle. Benton’s ceiling as a pass rusher isn’t elite, but it’s more than enough to secure a three-down role. His arm length meets NFL-caliber thresholds. The Wisconsin native is thick throughout his frame but offers rare fluidity at his size. He shows some dip and bend as a pass rusher and solid change of direction skills. Benton’s twitchy and powerful upper body helps him separate from offensive linemen. He clamps and rips linemen out of their gaps. Benton generates consistent push as a pass rusher with sustained leg drive. The All-Big Ten selection utilizes swats, swims, swipes, and clubs with his active, heavy, and violent hands. He wins as a pass rusher with swim, spin, long-arm, and bull rush moves. Benton chains moves and counters together, often connecting a club into a swim. He gets his hands up to disrupt passing lanes when he fails to reach the quarterback. Benton cuts off reach blocks and plays angles extremely well in run defense. The former three-star recruit plays through contact and flows down the line to the ball. He experiences some success shooting gaps. Unfortunately, Benton is a step below elite across the board. His physical and technical development makes him worth a top 60 selection, but he doesn’t have a true nose tackle’s anchor. His bull rush and pass rush plan are too inconsistent to deliver high-level sack production. Benton isn’t as explosive or fluid as the first round-caliber defensive linemen. He’s never played 500 defensive snaps in a season. The senior plays with an elevated pad level and struggles to revive his rush plan once his momentum stops. He gives significant ground to double teams and is inconsistent at the point of attack.

Overall, Benton played nose tackle at Wisconsin but has the athletic upside and pass rush potential to be a three-down player in the NFL as a defensive tackle. His fluidity and hand usage are plus traits for an interior defensive line prospect.

Role & Scheme Fit: 2 or 3-tech defensive tackle in a 4-3 scheme

Round Projection: Mid Second to Early Third

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 04-02-23