Rookie Spotlight: Trey Benson, Florida State
Height: 6-0
Weight: 216 lbs
Hands: 9 1/4” (official)
Arm: 31’ ½” (official)
40 yard dash: 4.39 (official)
Age: 21
NFL Comparison: Kenneth Walker, Lamar Miller, Isiah Pacheco

Pros

Excellent long speed
Proven threat on breakaway runs
Quick acceleration and burst
Hard to bring down
Good contact balance
Finds angles well
Soft hands

Cons

Seeks out contact
Tight through hips
Subpar blocker
Extensive injury history

Scouting Notes:
Benson’s exceptional speed is readily on display in his tape. He’s a freight train when he gets up to speed, and he reaches that top speed quickly. And like most trains, Benson doesn’t run around things. He runs through them. That’s not to say he is lacking in agility. His cuts are sharp, and he has the vision to take angles that benefit his running style. This aggressive style could eventually add to the injury troubles that have befallen Benson over the course of his career to this point, though. In 2020 while at Oregon, he tore his ACL, MCL, meniscus and hamstring all at the same time. He barely played in 2021, then transferred to FSU. Benson maintains strong contact balance through his runs too, so those hits he takes rarely bring him down on first contact. Among 50% qualifiers (at 295 attempts), Benson was second in the nation behind Ollie Gordon in breakaway run rate — a trait that brings a little bit of Kenneth Walker III to his profile. Though Benson is a big bruising back, he doesn’t necessarily bring that aspect to his pass protection. He’s been fairly ineffective when he’s been called to do it, and he’ll have to shore up this facet of his game to be a complete back in the NFL. As a pass-catcher, Benson has soft hands and can capably catch passes out of the backfield, though he could stand to learn a more comprehensive route tree. All in all, Benson is a stellar athlete who can thrive at the next level with some coaching.

Fantasy Outlook:
Benson’s injury history might take some teams out of the running, but he’s still one of the best backs in a somewhat weak draft class for them. His excellent Combine performance has him high on many a team’s board no doubt, and I don’t see him making it past the 2nd round. If he stays healthy, Benson can develop into a starter in little time. His lack of blocking acumen is a liability, but he has the physical ability to succeed there with practice and more exposure. His big play ability, buoyed by his impressive speed is palpable and makes him an exciting fantasy prospect, regardless of where he lands. He should be a priority in dynasty rookie drafts once the higher-end pass-catchers go off the board, which is the strength of the NFL draft as well as in dynasty rookie setups.