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Keeanu Benton is about to begin his first NFL training camp and go through his first full season in the league. And he’s working as hard as he can to get ready. Benton shared a clip on his Instagram page yesterday showing him training with pass-rush specialist coach Dez Walker, currently the defensive line coach for the USFL New Jersey Generals.
Here, you can see Benton circle around Walker as he works on different pass-rush moves. Swipes, cross chops, etc.
And that’s on the 4th of July, by the way, hammering the point home that Benton isn’t focused on fireworks and hot dogs but working to become the best player he can be in 2023.
Benton isn’t the first Steeler to work with Walker. Cam Heyward has trained with him in the past and potentially still does, especially after well-known pass-rush guru Chuck Smith was hired by the Baltimore Ravens.
Walker and Smith know each other well. As shared in this 2019 interview, Walker found and approached Smith one day and worked under him, taking that mentorship and turning it into his own job. Here’s what he told the VoyageATL four years ago:
“I headed down to Atlanta to go speak with and learn from legendary Master Pass Rush Specialist Chuck Smith…Showing up unannounced was risky but that leap of faith got me an opportunity. I had a thirst to take my knowledge in Pass Rush to another level. After thousands of hours training and studying Pass Rush I earned my CSTS certification to teach Pass Rush to all levels NFL, College, High School, and Youth.”
And he credited Smith for being a mentor as he forged his own path as a pass-rushing coach. Walker has ties to the professional game too, hired as the Generals’ defensive line coach and special teams assistant. NFL players, especially defensive linemen/pass rushers have increasingly worked with specialists throughout the offseason, a trend that figures to continue growing.
Benton was the Steelers’ third draft pick in 2023, taken 49th overall as a strong scheme fit for Pittsburgh’s defense. The knock on him from many draftniks coming out was a lack of pass rush but his tape, especially from the Senior Bowl, showed his quickness and hand use. He should be able to win 1-on-1 matchups against centers this year and provide some pass rush juice in base defense and nickel packages assuming he rotates in. The work he’s putting in during the summer should pay off come the fall.
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