What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.

Kelvin Benjamin - WR - FSU [UPDATE PAGE 1, 7/3] (1 Viewer)

I guess I am in the minority here, but I absolutely love this guy and think he is the 2nd best WR in the draft. He can catch well over both shoulders, and can grab jump balls with the best of them. He is still pretty raw, and I think most of his problems can be fixed. He plays faster than his combine numbers, and has showed some yac potential. I will admit some of his drops were very easy passes, but I don't think he is the next Troy Williamson. Oh, and I'm a big FSU homer so take it fwiw.
hmmm, most of the FSU homers seem to be down on him. i see the next jon baldwin, but didn't follow Benjamin much so could easily be wrong.

 
If Benjamin were somehow moved to TE that could possibly make him more valuable. If that did happen, would you rank Benjamin higher than Ebron? Would he be the top TE?
Why do people say this stuff? This isn't Madden. There's no way that guy is going to learn the technical side of inline blocking for a tight end, and even if he ever did there's no way he would be better than Ebron. Might as well say could he play defensive end.

 
If Benjamin were somehow moved to TE that could possibly make him more valuable. If that did happen, would you rank Benjamin higher than Ebron? Would he be the top TE?
Why do people say this stuff? This isn't Madden. There's no way that guy is going to learn the technical side of inline blocking for a tight end, and even if he ever did there's no way he would be better than Ebron. Might as well say could he play defensive end.
Because it matters for fantasy football.

He can block. I have watched enough of him to see that. With some of the players teams are calling TE these days I think it is a relevant question to ask. Other conversations recently have made comparisons between Ebron and Evans as well.

Part of it is to talk about the style of player he is as well. I am sure he wants to always be listed as a WR because that is where more money gets paid.

To say that he doesn't have blocking skills already, and that he would never be able to develop them seems narrow minded at best.

Why do you make such complaints about nothing?

 
Because there is absolutely no way he's ever going to be lined up next to an OT playing tight end.

His blocking ability comes from being able to muscle smaller corners. He plays too tall and blocks with too much of his arms to ever take on a defensive end. He'd be killed on the first play. They would eat him up.

He's a wideout in a big body. Maybe he can play the slot like Jimmy Graham, but he's never going to be a tight end.

 
Lets say the Patriots end up drafting Benjamin.

Do you think they will use him as an X WR or as a move TE? I would guess both but they may use him more in a move TE role than as a deep ball WR.

Of course he will not be listed as a TE as that would mean a pay cut.

There are WR being called TE in the league such as Timothy Wright and Jordan Reed.

 
Because there is absolutely no way he's ever going to be lined up next to an OT playing tight end.

His blocking ability comes from being able to muscle smaller corners. He plays too tall and blocks with too much of his arms to ever take on a defensive end. He'd be killed on the first play. They would eat him up.

He's a wideout in a big body. Maybe he can play the slot like Jimmy Graham, but he's never going to be a tight end.
The top Fantasy TEs are horrible blockers.

 
Lets say the Patriots end up drafting Benjamin.

Do you think they will use him as an X WR or as a move TE? I would guess both but they may use him more in a move TE role than as a deep ball WR.

Of course he will not be listed as a TE as that would mean a pay cut.

There are WR being called TE in the league such as Timothy Wright and Jordan Reed.
Dobson is the X. The X in that system generally runs a lot of deep routes. Benjamin would be more suited for routes up the seam from the slot and/or an Endzone target.

 
I think you're going to see a player that is going to dominate and going to frustrate. What intrigues the most about him is I don't know what your strategy is to cover him. You can't jam or try to re-route him, he's too thick and big and CBs will take the worst of that. If you play off man, he is sudden enough in his breaks with enough burst out of them to create separation deep.

There are plenty of holes in his game and his one-year wonder profile adds more risk, but he adds exactly the kind of big play "mismatch for every CB in the league when he's on" advantage that teams want in the downfield passing game.

He'll fall to the late first where a team like SF or SEA will add him.
Such a great point. It's complicated, but I'm not so sure you couldn't jam or jab him given his slow starts. He would scare me more as a defensive coordinator if the book on him wasn't that he was so stupid. That said it's hard to take away his strengths without help.

 
In deep WR class, Kelvin Benjamin's mistake could be others' gainBy Rob Rang | The Sports Xchange/CBSSports.com

With the 2014 NFL draft pushed back two weeks later than normal, scouts and prospects all over the country are racking up frequent flyer miles conducting official visits and private workouts.

In past years, it wasn't uncommon for a players to have five or six meetings with teams prior to the draft. Players with more than a 10 visits or private workouts, however, was relatively rare.

This year, I've been told of numerous players with 10-15 meetings with teams.

Florida State wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin apparently decided he'd had enough, electing to blow off a workout with an NFL coach who made "a special trip" to work him out, according to NFL.com's Gil Brandt.

There are any number of legitimate reasons why Benjamin may have been unable to work out. For a player who admitted at the Combine, however, that he'd struggled with work ethic earlier in his career at Florida State, Thursday's news could come as a significant red-flag. And given the tight rankings in this year's highly talented receiver class, that could mean trouble for Benjamin's draft stock.

At 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, Benjamin uses his great size and strength to fight through press coverage. He also possesses deceptive downfield speed to burn cornerbacks if he gets past them, as well as the vision, body control and timing in his leaps to sky over defenders to high-point passes. This skill-set could make him an ideal fit for an offense needing help in the red-zone, like the Seattle Seahawks, for example.

For a head coach who preaches competition like Pete Carroll, however, Benjamin might now be a long-shot.

Penn State's Allen Robinson (6-3, 220), Fresno State's Davante Adams (6-1, 212), Clemson's Martavis Bryant (6-4, 211) and Mississippi's Donte Moncrief (6-2, 221) offer similar size and are each more explosive athletes.

Most of the receivers at the Combine, in fact, tested better than Benjamin.

Benjamin, 23, might want to take his next workout seriously.

Those two extra weeks before the draft not only are adding to scouts' time to work out other receivers.

It also gives them that much more time to forget his 15 touchdowns, including the quick slant that won Florida State the national championship.
 
Rotoworld:

NFL.com's Gil Brandt reports that FSU WR Kelvin Benjamin's agent Eugene Parker denies that he blew off a NFL Coach.
"Eugene Parker, Kelvin Benjamin's agent, told me KB never blew off workout with NFL coach. I told him I'm sticking with my story from my source," Brandt tweeted. Previously it was reported by Brandt, that Benjamin blew of a NFL coach for a private workout because he was "too tired." It's interesting to notice the timing of this story, as this could cause his stock to drop if the story may be true. Could a team hoping for Benjamin to fall be behind this? Moving forward, any team with Benjamin on their radar will have to decide which side of the story they believe. This is not the kind of story any prospect wants lingering out there, prior to the draft. Benjamin and his management team will have to step forward and make sure they control the narrative.

Source: Gil Brandt on Twitter
 
If Benjamin is there when the Panthers pick I think they'll take him. I don't think he'll make it past us. I would love the pick. A year with Ricky and a solid locker room could go a long way.

 
If Benjamin is there when the Panthers pick I think they'll take him. I don't think he'll make it past us. I would love the pick. A year with Ricky and a solid locker room could go a long way.
I would hate the pick. He's one of the most overrated players in the draft IMO. Round 2, I'd like the pick. Round 1, hate it.

 
jurb26 said:
NCCommish said:
If Benjamin is there when the Panthers pick I think they'll take him. I don't think he'll make it past us. I would love the pick. A year with Ricky and a solid locker room could go a long way.
I would hate the pick. He's one of the most overrated players in the draft IMO. Round 2, I'd like the pick. Round 1, hate it.
He's rated a bottom of the first, top of the second pick he won't be there at our second round pick. He has huge upside. I would love the pick. I think our staff can coach him and our locker room can keep his head on straight.

 
Rotoworld:

NFL.com's Gil Brandt reports that FSU WR Kelvin Benjamin's agent Eugene Parker denies that he blew off a NFL Coach.
"Eugene Parker, Kelvin Benjamin's agent, told me KB never blew off workout with NFL coach. I told him I'm sticking with my story from my source," Brandt tweeted. Previously it was reported by Brandt, that Benjamin blew of a NFL coach for a private workout because he was "too tired." It's interesting to notice the timing of this story, as this could cause his stock to drop if the story may be true. Could a team hoping for Benjamin to fall be behind this? Moving forward, any team with Benjamin on their radar will have to decide which side of the story they believe. This is not the kind of story any prospect wants lingering out there, prior to the draft. Benjamin and his management team will have to step forward and make sure they control the narrative.

Source: Gil Brandt on Twitter
theres gotta be a little fire to this smoke, find it hard to believe that a mid to late 1st round prospect would blow off a meeting (only time you hear about this is when a kid is a clear top 3 and doesn't bother meeting the late round teams) but also find it hard to believe that someone made this up out of nothing. Gotta be some middle ground somewhere.

 
Matt Waldman ‏@MattWaldman

@Dumonjic_Alen @SI_DougFarrar He's 90 percent of the way there in every facet of his game. In that sense, it's a huge gap.


SI_DougFarrar ‏@SI_DougFarrar

@MattWaldman @Dumonjic_Alen I've said that I think he could catch 30 passes in his rookie year, and 10 could be for touchdowns.
Russell Lande ‏@RUSSLANDE

@SI_DougFarrar - Not as much worried about pounds & quickness, but rather drops & inconsistent effort which is very similar to J. Baldwin.
 
Call me crazy but I'm still a fan or KB, he has some flaws in his game though. Saw some bad drops on film but he also made some highlight real catches, I'm taking the good with the bad. As long as everyone keeps hammering his value will drop and that's even better for me.

Please though mini rant- Let's not use his age as a factor, you can find many more holes in his game aside from him only playing 7 years rather than 10. A non issues for me.

 
I'm kind of cool on both the giant wideouts in this draft, Benjamin and Evans. Neither seem sudden. I kind of like Allen Robinson better than both. Which is great for me because I'm sure I'm in the minority on that.

 
I'm kind of cool on both the giant wideouts in this draft, Benjamin and Evans. Neither seem sudden. I kind of like Allen Robinson better than both. Which is great for me because I'm sure I'm in the minority on that.
care to elaborate? I always like to hear different opinions and the reasoning behind them.

 
I'm kind of cool on both the giant wideouts in this draft, Benjamin and Evans. Neither seem sudden. I kind of like Allen Robinson better than both. Which is great for me because I'm sure I'm in the minority on that.
care to elaborate? I always like to hear different opinions and the reasoning behind them.
I have Arob above KB but Evans at #2. Robinson is much better from the standpoint of concentration, technique, he is also much more fluid in and out of his breaks.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Call me crazy but I'm still a fan or KB, he has some flaws in his game though. Saw some bad drops on film but he also made some highlight real catches, I'm taking the good with the bad. As long as everyone keeps hammering his value will drop and that's even better for me.

Please though mini rant- Let's not use his age as a factor, you can find many more holes in his game aside from him only playing 7 years rather than 10. A non issues for me.
The age factor doesn't have anything to do with career length. He's not a RB. It has to do with projection.

 
I'm assuming your speaking in terms of development, which sure you have a point but when your weighting a 23.6 year old who redshirted and only played 2 years vs a 22 year old junior who played 3 years and is further devolved shouldn't necessarily be a knock in him.

 
duaneok66 said:
I'm kind of cool on both the giant wideouts in this draft, Benjamin and Evans. Neither seem sudden. I kind of like Allen Robinson better than both. Which is great for me because I'm sure I'm in the minority on that.
care to elaborate? I always like to hear different opinions and the reasoning behind them.
neither look very fast on the field. I don't know if I am looking at Vincent Jackson or BMW. So I just think Robinson looks the part more. It's all going to shuffle to me depending on draft a lot anyway. If Mike Evans goes top 10 and Robinson goes 74 or something then I'll adjust my board quite a bit. If they go 14 and 23 though, I would prefer Robinson. I trust the nfl draft to be the best indicator of a player ( no offense to the draft niks).
 
The SI 64, Nos. 24-20: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Kelvin Benjamin, Odell Beckham Jr. and more

Doug Farrar

Excerpt:

#24: Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida State

Bio: Boom-and-bust players have their place in football, and few players better fit the description than Kelvin Benjamin. When he’s on, as he was with 12 seconds left in the most recent BCS championship game, he has the potential to grab the game-winning catch — which is exactly what he did to propel the Seminoles to their national title. When he’s not, Benjamin can be a frustrating player to watch. He was far more on than off in his junior campaign of 2013, catching 54 passes for 1,011 yards and 15 touchdowns. That last statistic outlines his primary asset as a player — Benjamin ranked ninth in the ACC in catches and seventh in receiving yards, but he ran away with the touchdown title, with three more than runner-up Sammy Watkins.

“Whenever there was a catch on the line or a touchdown on the line, [the play] was coming back to me, and it was a slant route,” Benjamin said at the combine of that fateful play. “I knew he [the defender] was thinking fade and so I tried to sell him on that fade route. Three steps out, I got inside of him and just did what I do best, which is attack it at the highest point.”

And that’s what will probably make Benjamin a first-round pick — there’s no other receiver in this class with a better ability to dominate when it’s time to score. Question is, can he be a do-it-all receiver when the NFL comes calling?

Strengths: Benjamin has prototypical dimensions (6-5, 240) for the position, and he understands how to use them — he will simply overwhelm defenders at times with his size, leaping ability and strength. And for his size, Benjamin has impressive straight-line speed. He’ll blast off the line quickly, he accelerates smoothly, and he has an extra gear downfield. Snatches the ball quickly and moves upfield just that way for extra yards after the catch, and he’s a load to deal with when he gets a full head of steam. Dominant red zone and end zone target who makes it nearly impossible to cover him in those situations, because all he has to do is get vertical and fight for the catch — and he does those things very well.

Outstanding blocker at all levels when he gives top effort. Can be a special player on simple slants and drags because he combines movement and strength when he does cut to an angle correctly. Played with quarterbacks who struggled to see the field and find him open at times; which could lead some NFL teams to (rightly) consider that he’ll have far more opportunities at the next level.

Weaknesses: For all his physical attributes, Benjamin is far from a finished product. He should be stronger with his hands in traffic than he is; even when he wins physical battles, he can be beaten after the catch with aggression, and he drops too many passes in general. Needs a lot of work on the overall route tree — ran a lot of straight go routes and simple angle concepts. Not always an aware player in space. He’s a bit logy when asked to cut quickly in short areas; this is where his big body (big butt, specifically) works against him. Agility is a question. Doesn’t always dig his foot in and make clean cuts, and as a result, he isn’t always where he needs to be when the ball is thrown with anticipation. Struggles with jukes and foot fakes because he’s still learning body control.

Will probably struggle with option routes for a while, because the ability to time his physical movements to the directions in his head is a process under development. Needs to learn to create separation. The little things — catching the ball with his hands instead of his body; waiting to turn upfield until he’s got the ball securely — are not quite there yet.

Conclusion: It’s possible that Benjamin will be limited to touchdown duty early on in his NFL career — while he’s obviously physically dominant, he will get it handed to him for a while by bigger, better cornerbacks and more complex coverages. He could also be used as a tight end-style target in the slot, or lined up in the seam. Benjamin has clear assets as a player; his liabilities will have to be managed as he learns the ins and outs of the receiving game at the professional level.

NFL player comparison: Jonathan Baldwin, San Francisco 49ers (1st round, 2011, Pitt, Kansas City Chiefs)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
So a guy who plays like an far less athletic version of Baldwin is the 24th best player on their board? Umm, OK.

 
This is from the SBNation article regarding route running,

I did not think Benjamin was much of route runner, but he actually looked pretty damn good running routes on a second (and third, and fourth) viewing. There were a couple of times where he slipped coming out of his breaks, but other than that, he was usually smooth in and out of his cuts and executed them quickly. I can tell you he seemed to be particularly adept at running skinny posts, a very productive route for him over the course of those five games. He also ran just about every kind of route there is at least once in the course of those five games.

Benjamin also made some hay out of the slot, which is something I didn't see Evans do. I am not saying Evans can't do it, but in the games I watched Evans never lined up in the slot. I know Benjamin has done it and did it pretty well.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
So a guy who plays like an far less athletic version of Baldwin is the 24th best player on their board? Umm, OK.
He's also 2 years older than Baldwin was as a rookie so I guess he's got that going for him.
Benjamin is a much more fluid athlete than Baldwin was, he's also bigger and more physical than Baldwin was. Want to know the kicker? Kelvin Benjamin is actually OLDER than Jonathan Baldwin!

 
Last edited by a moderator:
So a guy who plays like an far less athletic version of Baldwin is the 24th best player on their board? Umm, OK.
He's also 2 years older than Baldwin was as a rookie so I guess he's got that going for him.
Benjamin is a much more fluid athlete than Baldwin was, he's also bigger and more physical than Baldwin was. Want to know the kicker? Kelvin Benjamin is actually OLDER than Jonathan Baldwin!
His lower body looked stiff as a board running the 40 at the combine. Practically dragging his feet.
 
Rotoworld:

NFL Media draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said on a teleconference Thursday that FSU WR Kelvin Benjamin is a possible fit for the Eagles.
The analyst added that Benjamin was "a little bit of a polarizing player" because of his inconsistencies at FSU. Those concentration lapses lead to dropped passes. Can an NFL coach cure him? Chip Kelly could get very creative scheming the 6-foot-5, 240-pounder Benjamin into nightmare matchups for the defense, though it's unclear if he can sharpen Benjamin's focus.

Source: NFL.com
 
Kelvin Benjamin could make impact as tight end in NFL

By Bryan Fischer

College Football 24/7 writer

Only one tight end will be in New York City for the 2014 NFL Draft, but there are a number of players at the position who could have an impact as rookies.

North Carolina's Eric Ebron is the consensus pick to be the first tight end taken, but Washington's Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Texas Tech's Jace Amaro could wind up as first-round selections too. The gap between that trio and the next wave of tight ends is a bit wider than at other positions, and that's why there could be one surprise name in this draft class that could make an impact early on at the spot.
"Kelvin Benjamin," NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah said on "Path to the Draft." "He's a wide receiver from Florida State, but he's enormous. Some teams look at him and say, 'He looks like a tight end, why don't we just play him as a flexed out tight end?'"

At 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, Benjamin was always known as a jumbo-sized wideout, so it's not that big of a stretch to think he could wind up being a tight end at the next level. He clearly has the frame to add some weight, and more than one team could probably use his skills as a receiver more than they need him for blocking in some pass-happy NFL offenses.

"Not many of these tight ends block anybody anyway, so get yourself a pass-catcher," said Jeremiah. "Maybe that ends up being Kelvin Benjamin."

Benjamin's weight has popped up as a possible issue for some teams in the run up to the draft; most consider him too heavy to play the position at a high level. Detroit's Calvin Johnson, to whom Benjamin has been compared to, is roughly five pounds lighter, so we'll see if that holds up in competition on Sundays, but the move to tight end certainly could be in the cards if a team has a serious need at that position.

Recent mock drafts have Benjamin slated to go to the Philadelphia Eagles or Seattle Seahawks, both of whom are in need if a bigger pass catcher. Chip Kelly and Pete Carroll both love creating mismatches, and a super-sized receiver or speedy tight end such as Benjamin would do the trick in either offense.

We're a few months away from seeing where Benjamin lines up on the field for some team, but chances are that whoever ends up drafting him has at least a backup plan to put his hand in the ground and play a little tight end if necessary.

Follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter @BryanDFischer.
 
My next article will be on KB. I'll probably take some heat for it and might turn out deserving of it. I've watched his tape twice and this will be the third go around, by this time I should have a good handle on what he is and potential. I'll post the article here when it's done. Just take it easy on me:-)

 
Rotoworld:

NFL Media analyst Charles Davis reports that some sources have FSU WR Kelvin Benjamin falling to the second round.
"I've had some sources tell me they think he might go in the second round. He seemed like a lock for the first round at one point, and might still go in the opening round, but his star has faded," Davis wrote. At 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, some teams are concerned about his ability to play at a high level at WR at his current weight. It's also been mentioned by NFL Media draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, that some evaluators even think he could be a better fit "as a flexed out TE" at the next level. Whatever the reason for his fading star, now is not the time for a prospect to have his stock start dropping. However, we also have to be fully aware that this is smoke screen season.

Source: NFL.com
 
Rotoworld:

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports at least "one of the Steelers people" think Florida State WR Kelvin Benjamin is the second-best receiver in the draft behind Clemson's Sammy Watkins.
Beat writer Gerry Dulac believes there's a "very good chance" the Steelers grab Benjamin with the No. 15 overall pick next Thursday night. Most in the Steelers organization are higher on Mike Evans, but Evans is fully expected to be long gone by the time the Steelers are on the clock. Benjamin would give the Steelers an infusion of size that they badly need at the position and a red-zone presence.

Related: Steelers

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 
Rotoworld:

In the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's annual poll of NFL personnel men, Florida State WR Kelvin Benjamin tied for seventh among wide receivers.
The media has been higher on Benjamin than the NFL, by all indications. Benjamin tied Indiana's Cody Latimer and Colorado speedster Paul Richardson for seventh in the Journal-Sentinel's vote-based "points" system, behind Sammy Watkins, Mike Evans, Odell Beckham, Brandin Cooks, Marqise Lee, and Jordan Matthews, in that order. "He's stiff and lazy," one scout said of Benjamin. "Can't separate. Inconsistent catcher. I don't think he has off the field what it takes to be great on field. Other than that he'll be fine."

Source: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
 
NFL Draft Top 50, Nos. 21-30: Who is the better wide receiver, Benjamin or Cooks?

Eric Edholm

28. Florida State WR-H-Back Kelvin Benjamin

6-5, 240

One of the more roundly discussed and divergent prospects in this year's class, the late-developing Benjamin is built like no other pass catcher available for the draft. He has 35-inch arms, massive hands (10.25 inches) to give him a condor-like wingspan (83 inches) that make him the best fade-ball/red-zone prospect. If you watched the Seminoles last-minute national title victory, you saw Benjamin outleap Auburn's Chris Davis for the game-winning catch in traffic. Ben Benjamin has his detractors because of shaky hands (three drops vs. Florida), a lack of elite speed, some sloppy route running and some hip stiffness. That said, Benjamin could be a rare mismatch piece, and he has the size to be almost a pseudo tight end the way the Patriots, Saints and other teams use their "F" receiver.

NFL comparison: He can lose eight pounds and be Plaxico Burress or gain eight and be Jermichael Finley.

Draft range: There's a huge range of opinions on him, so Benjamin could go anywhere from No. 17 to No. 46
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top