Editor's Note: The 2024 NFL Draft is fastly approaching at the end of April, and the draft process is in full swing as the Dallas Cowboys and other teams work their boards to see who would be good fits at the next level. The staff at DallasCowboys.com will provide Possible Picks before the draft to provide context on potential Cowboys targets when they hit the clock. Next up is Florida State running back Trey Benson.
- Name: Trey Benson
- Position: Running Back
- College: Florida State
- Height/Weight: 6-0 / 216 (verified at combine)
- Combine Testing: 4.39 40-yard dash, 33.5" vertical jump, 10'2" broad jump
- Did You Know? Benson began his career at Oregon where he sat out his freshman season with a torn ACL in 2020 and only tallied six carries in 2021. He then transferred to Florida State. In high school, he once rushed for 392 yards and seven touchdowns in a game.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Despite being a physical back with a knack for fighting off contact, Benson steals the show with his quick cut ability between the tackles that makes him tough to bring down in close quarters. Once he is out in the open field, his 4.39 speed breaks away from defenders, giving him the status of a big play weapon in his time with the Seminoles. In the receiving game, Benson can be just as dangerous, as he's shown the ability to run a variety of routes out of the backfield and be productive in doing so. His pass protecting skills will need a bit of a boost at the next level as well as his footwork at the next level. While his quick cut is dangerous, he can sometimes be too choppy with his footwork to get out of would-be tackles quicker than he could.
Where He's Projected
Benson is revered as nearly a consensus top-three running back in the draft. Although this year's running back crop isn't nearly as talented as last year's group at the top of the draft, there will be a run on day two that will see quite a bit come off the board. If he trends closer to the third back off the board rather than the first, he could be sitting there late in the second round for the Cowboys to take advantage.
How He Helps the Cowboys
It's clear that a big hole is present in the running back room after the departure of Tony Pollard. The returning production includes only Rico Dowdle (361 yards in 2023), Deuce Vaughn (40 yards in 2023) and Hunter Luepke (19 yards in 2023). Bringing in a productive back like Benson who can excel in both the run and receiving games will provide immediate relief to the backfield in an offense that relies on consistency at the running back position.
