Cardinals RB Poised to Unlock Potential

Could the young back make a year-two jump to platoon alongside James Conner next season?

Dec 15, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back Trey Benson (33) against the New England Patriots at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Arizona Cardinals rookie running back Trey Benson wasn't afforded much of a chance to prove himself in 2024, but his numbers show that he could be poised for a more productive role in 2025.

The Cardinals selected what seemed to be a potential future James Conner replacement in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, taking Benson out of Florida State 66th overall. But he didn't have much in the way of volume production in his rookie season.

Of course, that can mostly be attributed to the continuation of Conner's dominance. Conner, despite missing a chunk of action down the stretch, posted his second-straight 1,000-yard season, with 1,500 total yards and nine touchdowns.

Those numbers earned Conner a well-deserved two-year, $19 million extension to stay in Arizona, and it seems likely the veteran bulldozer will finish his career in the desert.

But that did leave Benson out in the cold. The rookie made one start, and played just 137 snaps over 13 games. He took just 63 carries for 291 yards and one touchdown, with another 59 receiving yards.

Those are modest numbers, and certainly there's no reason to heavily reduce Conner's workload. But Benson's numbers do imply that the rookie could be ready for a bit of a breakout in 2025.

Benson averaged 4.6 yards per carry in 2024. That alone is a solid number, but due to the low volume of carries, what he did with his opportunity was even more impressive at times.

In fact, he averaged well over five yards per carry in six of his 13 games. In week 10, he averaged 6.2, picking up 62 yards on only 10 carries, with another 25 through the air.

The story of Benson's season was low opportunity, high production. Turning 63 carries and six receptions into 350 total yards is a solid rate of success, especially for a rookie.

And as the season progressed, Benson's development was noticeable. He became markedly more patient, improved his vision, and was able to slip through gaps rather than run straight into a wall.

And he wasn't being used merely as a change-of-pace back. Maybe by default, considering his difference from Conner's playstyle, but Benson was getting carries in the same situations Conner would.

He certainly wasn't being forced into a specific role, but rather was used as an alternate Conner in downs where the franchise stud would normally get the ball.

Granted, there's no world (barring injury) in which Conner doesn't take a majority of the carries in 2025. But Benson appears to be headed in the right direction, and is beginning to translate the high-average, patient, shifty running style he displayed in college into his NFL career.

And at 6-foot-1, 223 pounds, he's got time to develop into even more of a powerful back, while maintaining his speed and agility. He's not Conner, and that's good, but the young back proved - especially down the stretch - that he should be awarded more opportunities in 2025.

The Cardinals could have the ability to spell Conner more frequently, keeping the veteran healthier during his two-year extension, while maintaining a high yards-per-carry level of production at the running back position with Benson getting a higher share of the workload.