Eno Benjamin, Arizona State University
Eno Benjamin was taken at Pick 222 in Round 7 by the Arizona Cardinals and was the 15th running back off the board. He spent three years at Arizona State University where he ran for 1,083 yards on 253 carries (4.3 yards per carry) and caught 42 passes for 347yards with 12 total touchdowns during his last year in college.
Film Analysis
Running: Eno Benjamin was one of the more difficult running backs to scout because the level of his play seemed incredibly volatile. One play he’d be creating yards for himself and turning something out of nothing. The next play he’d be hesitating and picking the wrong hole to run through. Consistency is key and it’s something I didn’t see on film. His vision, creativity, burst, and agility can be pretty good at times and impressed me in big games against Oregon and Michigan State. He’s a tough runner with good tempo control and can be hard to bring down. The upside is there on tape.
Receiving: The first pass I saw go to Benjamin was a bad drop, but the announcer said it was uncharacteristic and I didn’t see him drop another pass after that. He’s not sharp in his cuts, but he’s got good enough skills to be a third-down back in the league. He’s great in chaos and the screen game feeds into that.
Pass Blocking: He needs to do a better job sustaining blocks which will only get tougher in the NFL. He’ll most likely be competing for a third-down role so earning a coach’s trust in pass protection will be the first big challenge for Benjamin.
Please enjoy this free preview of Factory Sports dynasty football content. If you are not already a Factory Sports member, you can sign up right here. For just $19.99 a year, you get all of our Dynasty, Redraft, IDP, Devy, and DFS content. Become a member today.
Landing Spot Reaction
Eno lands in Arizona where he joins Kenyan Drake and Chase Edmonds in an offense that looks to be very fantasy-friendly this year. The Cardinals loved what they saw from Drake after last year’s big trade to send away David Johnson this offseason. Of course, getting Deandre Hopkins was probably the bigger factor in that decision…but either way, it left them looking for depth at running back. Drake is currently signed to a transition tag which is a one year deal and Edmonds is still on his rookie deal through 2021. As far as opportunity goes, Benjamin should be able to come in and compete for the backup role. The Cardinals were middle of the road in terms of rushing attempts per game and how good their offensive line was, but the offense finished 17th in the league in points per game and should improve in year two under Kingsbury.
The Cardinals still haven’t offered a long-term contract to Kenyan Drake, but it’s hard to imagine the Cardinals committing to a seventh-round pick unless he comes in and completely outperforms his draft stock. Drake should be fine in 2020. However, I am definitely still concerned that he doesn’t have a deal in place past then. Chase Edmonds owners should start being a little concerned about his backup role. Despite being drafted in the fourth round in 2018, the Cardinals felt that they needed to trade for Drake at the deadline last year, and now they’re taking a shot on Eno Benjamin at the beginning of the seventh round. It’s a good offense to be the running back of, but the battle for “next man up” has just begun.
Dynasty Draft Projection
I had a feeling that Eno Benjamin would end up staying in the state of Arizona after the big running backs went off the board. He was in a lot of analysts’ top ten running backs, but I had him further down around 15 because of how inconsistent he was on the field. Seventh-round capital plus inconsistent tape and battling for a backup role normally means I’d want to wait until the fourth to grab him, if at all. However, Benjamin’s scenario intrigues me with no long-term deal given to Drake. Even when I believe a certain player might not be good, I’m always listening to others and if they really believe in the talent, I think he can be an interesting upside pick in the late third with big upside in 2021.
Thanks for reading and stay tuned to Dynasty Football Factory for all your NFL Draft night coverage. Follow me on Twitter @DFF_JoeMem to join in on the draft conversation!
