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Trey Benson NFL Draft 2024: Scouting Report for Arizona Cardinals RB

BR NFL Scouting Department

HEIGHT: 6'0"

WEIGHT: 216

HAND: 9¼"

ARM: 31½"

WINGSPAN: 76⅜"

40-YARD DASH: 4.39

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICAL: 33.5"

BROAD: 10'2"

POSITIVES

— Great long speed. Can find that fifth gear to separate with each step.

— Very good burst and acceleration, especially downhill.

— Great strength and balance. Violent runner who uses his frame effectively.

— Vision improved over his two seasons as a starter.

— Above-average pass-catcher. Natural hands.

NEGATIVES

— Below-average hip flexibility. Can sometimes be an issue when trying to make people miss in space.

— Magnet for contact. His no-nonsense rushing style can sometimes bleed into carelessness and reckless abandon.

— Poor pass protector. Largely untested, but struggled when asked to.

2023 STATISTICS

— 13 G, 156 ATT, 906 YDS (5.8 AVG), 14 TD; 20 REC, 227 YDS (11.4 AVG), 1 TD

NOTES

— Born July 23, 2002

— 3-star recruit in Oregon's 2020 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings

— Transferred to Florida State in 2022

— Two-year starter

— 2022 and 2023 second-team All-ACC

— Terrible knee injury in 2020; tore his ACL, MCL, lateral meniscus, medial meniscus, and a tendon in his hamstring all at once

OVERALL

Trey Benson is a violent runner with all the explosive potential you want out of an RB1.

At 6'1" and 223 pounds, Benson has a sturdy frame and isn't afraid to weaponize it. He is an aggressive, relentless runner who easily shakes off arm tackles and doesn't often go down on first contact. He's the type of runner who always falls forward and tends to require more than one tackler to shut him down.

Benson is a good athlete, too. He isn't just a bruiser. Benson explodes downhill when he sees a lane, and he has enough lateral burst to him to make defenders miss occasionally. He can have issues sinking his hips and making sharp changes of direction, but the rest of his athletic tools often make up for it.

Best of all, Benson has serious home run speed. He can cut through the second level with ease, and he's extremely tough to catch once he starts striding out at the third level. That's extra valuable in an RB class that doesn't offer much of that.

Benson also worked on himself as a runner between 2022 and 2023. Early in 2022, Benson's vision and decision-making was lackluster, but he's grown to understand angles and follow blocks properly with more reps. While he still runs himself into contact a little too often, the improvement is a good sign moving forward.

On passing downs, Benson is a mixed bag. He has the speed and hands to be a very useful pass-catcher, especially on flat routes, wheel routes and screens. Benson probably won't be an effective option runner, though, and he might not be able to flex out to WR in the NFL the way he sometimes did at Florida State. Benson is also a lackluster and largely unproven pass protector at this stage.

Benson isn't a perfect back, but he's a tough, explosive runner who continues to improve his vision and has useful pass-catching traits. That's a recipe for success at the NFL level.

GRADE: 7.4 (High-Level Backup/Potential Starter — 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 52

POSITION RANK: RB2

PRO COMPARISON: Todd Gurley

Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

   

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