FantasyPros will be taking a look at early NFL Draft scouting reports before the Combine in March. Here’s a look at Florida State running back Trey Benson.

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2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Trey Benson

Trey Benson (RB – Florida State)

6’1” – 221 lbs.

Background:

Three-star recruit who originally attended Oregon. Tore his ACL in his first season with the Ducks and ended up redshirting, then played very sparingly the next year (six carries) before transferring to Florida State. Rotated into the Seminoles’ offense as the primary ballcarrier but shared a lot of carries with Lawrance Toafili and Treshaun Ward. Finished with 154-994-9 (6.5) and thirteen catches, then solidified his lead-back role this year with 156-905-14 (5.8) heading into the college football playoff. Also has 20-227-1 receiving.

Positives:

Has been a productive lead back for two years. Built like a bellcow, but doesn’t have a ton of tread on his tires. A solid decision-maker in the backfield. Shows good patience to wait for blocks to develop, shuffling and using stutter-steps to find lanes. Shows decisiveness once he gets going, with sharp cuts and some burst through the hole. Weaves through congestion better than anticipated for a big back, showing impressive flexibility and balance. Runs behind his pads and punishes defenders, showing the ability to barrel into congestion and grind out tough yardage between the tackles. Very difficult to bring down with arm tackles. Has good leg drive after contact to maximize yardage. Shows some ability to improvise when the blocking’s not there. Surprisingly elusive, with some nice moves to make defenders miss when he gets into space. Speed and burst are impressive once he gets to the second level. Has excellent ball security, with no career fumbles on 349 offensive touches. Flashes good body control as a receiver. Quality blocker who also helped in the run game at times.

Negatives:

Has a relatively high amount of short gains, needing to wear down defenses over the course of the game. Doesn’t break quite as many tackles as anticipated; more likely to finish his runs by falling forward for a couple of extra yards than to run through opponents, being wrapped up pretty consistently if he’s hit before he has a full head of steam. Average yards after catch (YAC) dropped by about a yard this year. Some of his attempts to make something out of nothing end up losing more yardage than just plowing ahead would have. Dropped three passes this year. 2020 ACL injury may require further investigation.

Summary:

A big, tough runner who makes good decisions as a ballcarrier and who shows more speed and elusiveness than usual for his size. His size, relatively light college workload compared to some of the other top backs, and ability to block should earn him some second-day consideration. Would fit best in a gap offense that commits to the run game, as late in the game he can reap what he sowed on earlier carries between the tackles.

Projection: Round 3