WR Kelvin Benjamin, FSU

[Ramius]

WR Kelvin Benjamin, FSU (RS Sophomore): 6'5" 230 lbs

 

Here's what my untrained eye saw:

Pros: He's a huge, physically imposing target. He's a matchup nightmare for anyone. He'll outleap anyone for the ball. He uses his body down the field to hield the defender away. He's one of those guys that's "open when he's not open". He provided a huge, big play target downfield for both Winston and Manuel. He made huge strides this season from his freshman year. He became a better route runner and started to refine his game. He knows how to high point the ball, and catches more with his hands than his body. He's also not afraid to block.

 

Cons: I have 2 big questions marks for Benjamin at the next level. 1, can he get separation off the line? Florida and Auburn had some initial success jamming him off the line, which he was able to overcome as the games went on. But he's not the quickest guy off the line. 2, how will his speed hold up at the next level? I dont know his 40 time and it'll be interesting to see what he clocks at. It's a concern to me because the NFL has eaten up talented big WRs that were "college fast" but not "NFL fast". I really can't say how fast he truly is.

 

Other notes: He struggled a decent amount his freshman year, adjusting to the college game. It appeared that he was trying to rely on his physical tools early on like he was able to in high school. He didn't always put in a ton of effort and sometimes slacked when his number wasn't called. This year, he was a different player. You saw a complete effort whenever he was on the field.

 

Positive Outlook: I think he's going to be one of those players that will take a season or 2 to be really good. He'll probably pay off in year 2 or 3 moreso that his rookie season. He still needs some development and needs more work on route running. If he puts the same effort in as he did this season, he's got a chance to be one of those big, uncoverable targets.

 

Negative Outlook: He's one of those big WRs that's "college fast" and can't get the separation at the next level, and goes the way of a Mike Williams (USC).

[Rob's House]

Your Mike Williams comparison scared me a little. His size is impressive, but guys do tend to gain weight and I can't think of a successful 250lb WR, and I don't know how well he'd transition to receiving TE. I won't be disappointed if we take him, but I'd be a little nervous if I were the guy pulling the trigger on him with a top 10 pick.

[TakeYouToTasker]

Cross-posted from a thread on the Main Board:

 

Benjamin worries me: he leaves his feet far too often while tracking the ball, not leaping for the ball at it's high point, but rather take a short hop early which will hurt his ability to battle for contested balls against NFL corners. The reason he does this is because he appears to be a devout "body catcher" who is more comfortable drawing the ball into his midsection than plucking it out of the air. At the next level this will lead to him playing much smaller than he is, and much more difficult to "throw open".

[Ramius]

Your Mike Williams comparison scared me a little. His size is impressive, but guys do tend to gain weight and I can't think of a successful 250lb WR, and I don't know how well he'd transition to receiving TE. I won't be disappointed if we take him, but I'd be a little nervous if I were the guy pulling the trigger on him with a top 10 pick.

 

The Mike Williams was the negative comparison. I'm an FSU alum, still living in Tallahassee, but for sake of the draft, i try to be as balanced as possible and provide both sides good and bad in my player analysis. I honestly just don't know how his speed will stack up at the NFL level. If he can show speed, he'll be tough to stop. If he's just "college fast" then he'll definitely struggle.