It's no secret the Dallas Cowboys will be looking into adding a running back in Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft. It's a strong class for those early rounds and the temptation will be too high to ignore.
Although Jonathon Brooks is the most commonly mocked running back to Dallas, it's Trey Benson who most resembles a former Cowboys running back: DeMarco Murray.
Benson is A to Z Sports Film Room analyst James Foster's top running back in this year's class and his 65th best overall prospect and he lists Murray as his top NFL comp. Most mocks have him going between the late second round and third round.
It's worth noting Benson is a Top 30 visit for the Cowboys ahead of this year's draft.
Trey Benson Scouting Report
You can read Foster's full breakdown on his Big Board but below is a summary:
Strengths
- Dense build, with excellent speed
- Patience & vision on power/counter runs
- Effective use of stiff-arms & hand-fighting to shed tackles
- 0 career fumbles
- Quick acceleration when he turns on the jets
- Falls forward through contact
- Good hands, plays up to his size in pass protection
Weaknesses
- Loses balance trying to make sharp cuts
- Lacks elusiveness to avoid leg-tackles in the backfield
- One-speed runner
- Clunky changing directions, requires multiple gather steps
- Not very elusive in the open field
- Had 3 drops vs. Syracuse
- Limited experience running outside zone
Benson's comparison with Murray stands out mostly because of Foster's notes on his patience as a ball-carrier and his skills in pass protection, which we know Mike McCarthy is big on when it comes to his running backs.
That could be a differentiator between Benson and many other backs available in this year's class. The former Seminole projects as a three-down back on Sundays.
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