The Pittsburgh Steelers may be stumbling onto the right defensive line mix at just the right time.
For years, the conversation around their interior front has not been about talent. It has been about deployment.
Keeanu Benton, a second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, was repeatedly funneled into the nose tackle spot under Mike Tomlin and Teryl Austin. Yahya Black, meanwhile, was mostly used as a base 3-4 player last year even though his game does not really scream space player.
That’s why the early signs from training camp stand out. With Patrick Graham now running the defense, the Steelers appear to be moving pieces around in a way that makes a lot more football sense.
Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot reported that Benton has been working at right defensive end with the first-team defense, while Black has been lined up at nose tackle. There was also word that veteran Cameron Heyward was taking snaps at base 0-tech nose tackle.
That setup makes a lot of sense when you look at the body types and skill sets involved.
Benton, listed at 6’4’’, 309 pounds, has long looked like a better fit at 3-technique. His bend and hip fluidity let him attack gaps, and his best work comes when he can club past blockers and get into the backfield. Instead, the previous staff kept him locked into a role that did not fully match what he does best.
Black is a different case, and in a good way. At 6’5 ¾’’ and 336 pounds, he is built to absorb contact and hold the point against the run.
He played outside the formation as a 5-tech and 4-tech as a rookie, functioning as a base defensive end in Pittsburgh’s 3-4. Under Graham, he looks to be shifting into a true nose tackle role, where his lack of quickness and explosion matters less and his strength can do the heavy lifting.
Heyward getting work at nose tackle is another interesting wrinkle. It does not sound like a major permanent change is coming there, especially with how well he is still playing late in his career. But he has the power for it, even if lateral speed is no longer his calling card.
If the Steelers are trying to maximize this group, there are a few clean combinations that fit. One ideal look would have Derrick Harmon and Benton as the base 3-4 defensive ends, with Heyward taking some nose tackle snaps in base looks. Another strong rotation would put Harmon or Benton at end, Sebastian Joseph-Day at the other end spot, and Black at nose.
There will be plenty of other packages as well, including two-down-lineman fronts with 1-tech and 3-tech assignments. In those even-front looks, Harmon, Benton, and Joseph-Day fit best at 3-technique, while Heyward and Black are the better matches for 1-technique.
None of this is locked in yet. Graham could always drift back toward the old alignments, and some veterans may not love changing roles this deep into their careers.
But if the Steelers want the most out of their interior defensive line in 2026, the answer is obvious: put players where their traits actually fit. So far, that’s exactly what Graham seems to be doing.
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