FSU Football NFL Draft Preview: RB Trey Benson

Benson is in contention to be the first running back off the board.

Mar 2, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Florida State running back Trey Benson (RB04) during the 2024 NFL Combine 40-yard dash / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

We are two away from the 2024 NFL Draft and as many as 13 former 'Noles have a chance to hear their name called throughout the weekend. What these articles will attempt to accomplish is catch you up on where the prospects most likely to be drafted are projected to go, which teams they've met with, measurables, and what scouts and executives have said about these players (if it's been made available).

Jordan Travis was our first installment, now we'll pivot to his backfield partner: running back Trey Benson.

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Benson started his career at Oregon but transferred to Florida State, racking up 1896 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns, 33 catches for 371 yards and a touchdown, and a kickoff return touchdown in two seasons in Tallahassee. Many people doubted Coach Norvell taking Benson in the transfer portal since Benson had a brutal knee injury at the beginning of his college career, but Benson silenced the doubters early in his tenure showing rare explosiveness for someone his size. He was one of the best running backs in the country at breaking tackles and has never fumbled in his college career.

Measurements

Trey Benson measured in at the NFL Combine at 6002 (6 feet, 2/8ths of an inch) and 216 pounds, a little lighter than his reported playing weight of 223 pounds, with an arm length of 31.5 inches and hand size of 9.25 inches.

He turned heads by running a 4.39 40-yard dash and lifting 23 reps on the bench press. The broad jump of 10'2" was more impressive than his vertical of 33.5 inches but still ended up with a relative athletic score (RAS) of 9.76 out of 10.

Visits/Meetings

Benson took top-30 visits with the Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, and Buffalo Bills in early April while drawing special interest from the Denver Broncos, and Baltimore Ravens. He's likely heard from more teams than this, but these have been the main teams reported.

What the Scouts are Saying

Lance Zierlein from NFL.com: "Big back who might need to table his desires to be an elusive runner and adopt a more physical, decisive approach as a pro. Benson had just two seasons of collegiate wear and tear, but he only hit the 20-carry mark in one game. He runs with good knee-bend, agility and contact balance but takes too long to process the front and hit holes between the tackles. He has creative athleticism but lacks creative vision, so he would be wise to keep more runs on track and finish with consistent authority rather than searching for greener grass. Benson has some talent as a pass catcher and enough protection ability to warrant a role as a complementary three-down option."

Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic (paywall): "Benson’s athleticism at his size has always stood out on tape. But it does bring up the question of how things will unfold for this running back class come draft weekend... Benson’s a great athlete, but teams might have concerns with his vision as a ball carrier."

Bucky Brooks of NFL.com: "Benson possesses many of the blue-chip traits coaches covet in a bell-cow back. Although his production didn't always match his potential in college, Benson's size-speed combination could enable him to thrive as a pro."

Former Vikings GM Rick Spielman: "I didn't think he was going to run [a 40-yard dash] in the 4.3s, but he did [4.39]. There's no question he's over the [2020] knee injury when you watch how violent this kid plays on tape. You watch the LSU game, I said 'Who the hell is this kid?' in the opener. He just has explosive plays. He has a nose for the end zone. Any time he is near the goal line, he is scoring. He just has that knack for squeezing through and getting into the end zone no matter what he had to do. The things that stuck out for me that he doesn't get enough credit for was his receiving skills out of the backfield. Go back and watch the Clemson game. He caught a wheel route out of the backfield that receivers can't catch. If he didn't have the knee injury and the age [turns 22 in July], he would probably would be up there close to being my No. 1 running back. With those two nicks against him, I put him down a little bit. I think this kid is a really good football player."

Dana Brugler of The Athletic (paywall): "Overall, Benson’s vision and run instincts tend to be spotty, but he runs hard off tackle with the burst and balance to stay afloat through contact. Cut in the Melvin Gordon mold, he projects best as part of an NFL committee, in which he’d have any-down and big-play potential."

Projected Draft Range

Trey Benson has firmly entrenched himself as a Day 2 pick, in my opinion. The Draft Network says he's a Day 3 pick, which I just don't agree with as almost everyone else has him in the debate for RB1. He could even be the RB1 on some team's boards because of the ACL injury to Texas' Jonathan Brooks. Teams could fall in love with the athleticism of Tennessee's Jaylen Wright, but Benson has elite athleticism as well.

The bigger question is where do the running backs start coming off the board? Because once one comes off, there's a good chance a run of running backs happens.

Currently, the Cowboys have pick 56 in the second round; the conversation starts there. Does someone trade up in front of them, as the Cowboys have done extensive research on all the top RBs, does he fall into the Cowboys' lap at 56, or do they go in a different direction for Brooks, Wright, or Michigan's Blake Corum?

The other teams that have been mentioned and their picks on Day 2: Browns (picks 54 and 85), Bills (60), Ravens (62 and 93), Panthers (65), Giants (47 and 70), and the Broncos (76).

Buffalo found success with James Cook down the stretch of the season, so I have a hard time believing they'd take a running back this high as they try to replenish talent at wide receiver and across their defense. The Ravens signed Derrick Henry this offseason and could use a younger change-of-pace back in that room, but I also think they have bigger needs. Carolina is paying Miles Sanders decent money and they need to be focused on purely the best player available. The Browns, with Nick Chubb suffering yet another serious knee injury last season, the Giants, the Ravens, and the Cowboys all make sense as possible destinations.

Prediction

I currently have Benson landing with the Giants at pick 70, but I think that's the absolute latest he'd go. There are too many teams that need running back for him to end up further down than this and it wouldn't surprise me at all to see him go in the 50s. It's just a very unpredictable group of running backs with an uncertain order to them. If he was any later than the third running back off the board, I'd be a little surprised.

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