Pittsburgh Steelers have a budding star at nose tackle

The Pittsburgh Steelers will face one of the best offensive lines in the NFL on Sunday in the Indianapolis Colts. Their interior offensive line is lined with stars, including one of the best guards in the NFL, Quenton Nelson. Center Ryan Kelly is among the NFL's best at that spot , too. That will challenge the Steelers' depth and stars along their defensive line.

While most people will look at the Steelers' defensive line and point out Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt, and other stars, Keeanu Benton is becoming the next star player on the interior. He has yet to record a sack so far, but his pass-rushing peripherals are not just good; they are elite.

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According to Pro Football Focus, Benton has the highest pass-rush win rate on the defensive line. Among interior defensive linemen, he is third in the NFL behind only Buccaneers star Vita Vea and Giants star Dexter Lawrence. That is not a bad company to keep . In addition, he has an elite pass-rush grade that is fifth in the NFL.

Those stats show just how much Benton has improved from his rookie season. Still working primarily at nose tackle, most teams do not have to contend with nose tackles that can rush the passer like Benton.

The Wisconsin product is another successful draft pick for the Steelers out of Madison, and it seems like the former Badger is starting to morph from a promising player into a star. This week against Kelly will be his stiffest test of the season but it can prove that he ascended into another stratosphere of dominance among his peers in the NFL.

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