Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update: Eno Benjamin, RB ARI
The NFL Draft is behind us, rookie drafts are taking place, and as dynasty owners, we are looking ahead to the upcoming season. In the Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update series, we break down all the incoming fantasy-relevant rookies, looking at their profile and where they fit.
Name: Eno Benjamin
Position: Running back
Pro Team: Arizona Cardinals
College Team: Arizona State Sun Devils
Draft Status: Round seven, 222nd overall
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
COMBINE REVIEW
- Height: 5’9”
- Weight: 207 pounds
- Arms: 31 1/4”
- Hands: 8 5/8”
- 40-yard dash: 4.57 seconds
- Vertical jump: 39”
- Broad jump: 122”
- Bench press: 12 reps
STRENGTHS
- An agile runner who does well at setting up defenders and stringing together moves.
- Not a traditional power RB but shows outstanding contact balance.
- Solid contributor within the passing game and shows dependable hands.
- Runs well between the tackles.
- Keeps his feet churning at the point of contact to grind out tough yards.
- Worked in an RPO Spread offense at Arizona and should fit in nicely with Cardinals scheme.
- Has an upright running style but quickly drops his hips and pads to off-balance defenders and uses his jump cut to outmaneuver defenders.
WEAKNESSES
- Needs to trust in his offensive line and allow lanes to develop.
- Aims to cut in pass protection and with his size I don’t imagine that changing in the NFL.
- Over-reliant on his jump cut at times and failure to trust his line will cause him to give up on a lane early leading to loss of yardage.
- Wasted effort setting up moves.
- Bulked up for NFL Combine but is a smaller RB.
OPPORTUNITIES
Eno Benjamin came in as a fairly well-regarded prospect. After a massive sophomore season, his 2019 junior campaign might be seen as a bit of a disappointment. He ended up falling to day three and the seventh round of the NFL draft.
His combine score was rather pedestrian but he showed good explosiveness in his legs. Posting a 38-inch vertical and 122-inch broad jump lines up well for a player with a stout lower body. Benjamin isn’t a thumper at the position but he shows an ability to keep his feet moving to grind out tough yardage.
Arizona jettisoned David Johnson while somehow getting DeAndre Hopkins in return. Kenyan Drake flashed league-winning potential and likely helped a few owners to the championship in 2019 after being acquired from the Miami Dolphins in mid-2019. Chase Edmonds dealt with injury but showed flashes of talent as well in an Arizona RB room that looks tough for Benjamin to find early work in.
The team did well drafting Houston tackle Josh Jones in round three. Arizona did little to fix their line in free agency as they failed to land a major offensive line piece outside the draft. The Cardinals unit, which Pro Football Focus ranked fourth-worst in the league at the end of 2019, at least has a bit of consistency coming into 2020.
Benjamin is going to have to work for his snaps in 2020 and it is going to take a lot of luck for him to be a big-time contributor. He will have to outwork DJ Foster to get work in as the third back on the depth chart to start.
THREATS
Arizona traded a conditional sixth-round draft pick to Miami in acquiring Drake. This was during the midpoint of 2019 and Drake immediately came in and started playing. Edmonds was selected by the Cardinals in the fourth round of the 2018 draft. When David Johnson went down to injury last year, Edmonds stepped in as the main back in the offense and racked up 126 rushing yards and three touchdowns against the Jets defense. He injured his hamstring the following week opening the door for the Drake deal.
Benjamin will have to prove himself to take any carries away from either of these two.
SHORT-TERM EXPECTATIONS
I have very little short term expectations for Benjamin. He comes in as a seventh-round pick and with the COVID pandemic is currently missing out on needed snaps and practices to showcase his skills. Benjamin likely will need to show some skill on special teams to lock in a spot as the third option out of training camp.
LONG-TERM EXPECTATIONS
If Benjamin can showcase his skills as a legitimate three-down back, he can secure himself a good spot outside of 2020. Drake is currently only signed through 2020 with Edmonds signed through 2021.
The team needs to start investing in the offensive line long term to protect their QB, Kyler Murray. Benjamin has the benefit of coming in on a very cheap seventh-round rookie contract.
NFL PLAYER COMPARISON
I don’t think he is currently as good at pass protection and he can work on route running, but I see Benjamin being a James White or Giovani Bernard “lite”. The team will be best when he is used to spell Drake or Edmonds. He might also contribute by flexing out into the slot as a receiver from the backfield with the other runners already in the game.
PROJECTED ROOKIE DRAFT RANGE
According to our Rookie ADP, Benjamin is currently 38.6 on average in the May rookie mock ADP. He is currently the RB15 in rookie drafts.
Benjamin was projected to be a day-two pick coming into the draft but fell down to the seventh round. Owners were high on Benjamin until his draft stock took a hit. Look at him as a back of your rookie draft stash or a late-round flier in startup drafts.
Pete is a Western Washington University (Go Vikings! Undefeated at Football since 2009!) History grad with a doctorate in dynasty football, from a certificate he bought online. He prefers stats and analytics but realizes film grinding is an important part of the process. Dabbles in "Mild Takes" and believes in the process.
