Cardinals rookie RB Trey Benson might not be a lock to run second behind James Conner right away. Johnny Venerable of PHNX Cardinals told the Rotoworld Football Show this week that Michael Carter is "the No. 2 back" and that he expects Benson to sit third on the depth chart to enter the season.
Cardinals RB James Conner turned 29 in May, which tends to be a dangerous age for RBs according to our aging-curve research. But Conner has shown no signs of decline. In fact, his 80.0 rushing yards per game last year were a career high and ranked fourth league-wide behind only Kyren Williams, Christian McCaffrey, and Nick Chubb. Conner also excelled in advanced rushing metrics, ranking top-12 among 49 qualifying RBs in NFL Next Gen Stats’ Rush Yards Over Expected Per Attempt, yards after contact per attempt, missed tackles forced per attempt, and Pro Football Focus rushing grade.
The Cardinals spent a third-round pick on RB Trey Benson from Florida State. Benson suffered a multi-ligament knee injury as a freshman at Oregon in 2020 and did very little in 2021. He transferred to Florida State ahead of the 2022 campaign and turned in two highly efficient seasons for the Seminoles. Benson averaged 6.1 yards per carry and scored on 7.4% of his attempts across the past two years. An explosive runner with strong contact balance, Benson scored TDs of 80+ yards as a runner, receiver, and pass-catcher at Florida State. He confirmed his elite athleticism by earning a 9.73 Relative Athletic Score at the Combine, highlighted by a 4.39-second 40 time. Benson also showed promise as a pass-catcher over the last two years, catching 32 of 39 targets and averaging 11.5 yards per reception. He averaged just 13.2 touches per game at Florida State but has the potential to garner a bigger workload as a pro. Going to Arizona likely limits Benson's touch outlook for 2024. But it's a solid landing spot for his dynasty outlook. Check our rookie rankings to see where he lands.
Florida State RB Trey Benson helped his NFL Draft case with a 4.39-second 40 time at the Scouting Combine on Saturday. At 216 pounds, that gives him 98th-percentile speed score for the position. That backs up Benson's 6.1 career yards per carry and 11.2 yards per catch -- nearly all compiled over the past two seasons with the Seminoles. We'll see about his draft capital, but Benson has carried a reasonable ADP in early best ball drafting.
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