FanPost

Is Kelvin Benjamin FSU's best playmaker?


From Bud Elliot via KB's Player Profile Preview on TN:

If he can master the nuances of the position, he'll be able to get on the field and won't be a liability during his RS-FR season.

I'm not going to project numbers for Benjamin in 2012 because I think it is largely dependent on how often Florida State is in situations that call for Benjamin, the amount of garbage time, etc. I do think he'll be in the rotation of that second group, however.

Benjamin has 23 catches for 443 yards with four touchdowns at this point in the season, averaging just over 19 yards per catch. If you use only conference stats, Benjamin has 17 catches for 347 yards and two touchdowns. He hasn't had any monster games in terms of breaking the hundred yard mark or any games with multiple TD's(minus the Savannah State game), and has had some issues with running the wrong route earlier on. However, he has been a victim of poor officiating on a couple of plays(NCSU catch ruled OOB, and offensive PI called in Miami game that took a TD off the board). So his numbers could conceivably been better.

However, the thing that I'm starting to notice is that Benjamin is getting his number called more and more as the season progresses. It's obvious he's been working on his route running(minus the fade routes), just look at how he shakes this Duke defender's ankles on Saturday:

Also, check the YAC as he was able to stay in bounds and get an additional 10 yards or so. He needs to stop holding that ball like a loaf of bread when making moves, but I imagine it's pretty hard to do when you have long arms like that. The other thing that I like about Benjamin is that he uses his hands to catch the majority of the passes thrown his way, and hasn't had many drops on balls that are catch-able.

Rodney Smith is having a decent year, but seems to disappear at times. Rashad Greene has been seemingly quiet this year, but he has not surpassed the standard he set last year in my opinion. Greg Dent seems to have disappeared since the Clemson game. Haggins has been non-existent all year. Kenny Shaw hasn't done much minus the long bomb he caught against Boston College.

Of course there are still many flaws in Benjamin's game when it comes to fully reaching the potential he has as a receiver. He has shown that he's able to block down-field which is a plus. His route running could always improve. He needs to work on being able to use his size a little better without being flagged for offensive PI. Finally, he needs to make sure he's running the correct routes at all times.

Two questions:

  • Is Benjamin FSU's best playmaker?
  • Should FSU be going to Benjamin more often in the passing game?

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