The 2023 NFL Draft’s group of inside line of defense prospects can greatest be described as “boom-or-bust”.
Georgia’s Jalen Carter is the consensus high prospect at defensive sort out from a movie perspective, however off-the-field questions linger with him heading into the draft. Clemson’s Bryan Bresee has elite instruments however handled harm issues in faculty and didn’t reside as much as the huge expectations positioned upon him popping out of highschool. Pittsburgh’s Calijah Kancey is an absurdly athletic and gifted defender, however he’s a statistical outlier from a measurement and size perspective.
That leaves the remainder of the category. Is Siaki Ika from Baylor versatile sufficient to function greater than a two-down, 4-3 base nostril sort out? Can Mazi Smith of Michigan maximize his super bodily attributes higher than he did in faculty?
There are many query marks surrounding the inside line of defense class, however for my cash, the most secure defensive sort out within the 2023 draft is Wisconsin’s Keeanu Benton.
Keeanu Benton’s strengths
From his rips to his stabs, swims and shucks, Benton has quite a lot of strikes he can use to beat you alongside the inside. He’s a stable technician who is aware of the best way to string strikes collectively nicely. He’s a greater than succesful two-gapper who can plug up holes in opposition to the run no matter the place he’s aligned. He’s a dependable run defender with a strong body, and he presents above-average consciousness in when to stack and shed on the line of scrimmage.
No person’s gonna mistake him for an Aaron Donald-type athlete, however Benton has good first-step quickness and is explosive sufficient in a vacuum to create preliminary penetration into opposing backfields. His testing was fairly stable all throughout the board on the mix, which is encouraging.
Keeanu Benton’s weaknesses
Benton doesn’t supply a ton of worth on stunts due to an absence of top-notch agility, and when he has to function in house as a run defender, he struggles chasing down ball-carriers. Although Benton makes use of his palms nicely and creates good preliminary inside strain, he doesn’t have the lengthy velocity or the agility on tape wanted to complete the play on a constant foundation. An absence of elite bodily attributes may restrict his upside a bit on the subsequent stage.
Keeanu Benton highlights
Keeanu Benton’s 2023 NFL Mix outcomes
Benton completed with an 8.87 Relative Athletic Rating after his efficiency on the Scouting Mix. Measuring at 6-foot-4 and 309 kilos, he ran a 5.08 40-yard sprint with a 1.74 10-yard break up. He additionally completed with above-average explosion and agility scores, as nicely.
A few of Anderson’s athletic profile comparisons on Mockdraftable embrace Star Lotulelei and Kawaan Quick.
What others are saying about Keeanu Benton
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com had the next to say about Benton:
Benton is a strong inside defensive lineman with measurement and persistence. Nevertheless, he must play with constant explosiveness early within the rep for decisive wins on the level of assault on the professional stage. Block engagements develop into drawn-out brawls at occasions, however he does a pleasant job of defeating block sustains and sometimes finds himself close to the play. He lacks a large base and durable anchor, so he’ll want to enhance his pad stage to stop double groups from shifting him round too simply. He’s stable and has flashed beginning potential, however he must develop into a extra constantly impactful power within the center to make noise as an NFL starter.
Benton has the talent set to be at the very least stable beginning 1-technique defensive sort out within the professionals. Whether or not he has elite pass-rushing worth is up for debate, however he’s a robust run defender who makes use of his palms tremendous nicely and has a little bit of short-area burst to him. He must be a direct contributor on the NFL stage.
