Michigan defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny spent four years waiting for his opportunity to start on one of the nation’s best defenses. In those years, he was coached by NFL minds like Mike Macdonald, Jesse Minter and Wink Martindale. He played alongside Kris Jenkins, Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, and provided strong run support in a rotational role to help his team win a national championship in 2023.
A former four-star recruit from Detroit as a member of the 2021 class, Benny has played in five college
football seasons and has shown steady improvement throughout his career. He has 107 career tackles, starting 16 games and playing in 53. He is projected to be a 3-technique at the next level and should have no problem getting drafted, as he is currently projected to go in the fifth round.
Quick Facts
- Height: 6-foot-3
- Weight: 298 pounds
- Arm Length: 33 3/8”
- Hand Length: 9 1/4’’
- Draft Day Age: 23 years old
- Career stats: 53 games (16 starts), 107 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, four sacks, one forced fumble, five passes defended
Strengths
- Possesses the strength and length to quickly shed blocks.
- Plays with active hands to be able to get from blocker to blocker.
- Effective two-gapper who locks out, gets his head around, and finds the runner.
- Decent quickness and agility for his size, useful when slanting or working laterally down the line.
- Reliable tackler in space with a low missed tackle rate across his career.
Weaknesses
- Limited pass-rush moves beyond a bull rush; lacks counters when his initial move stalls.
- Pad level rises too often, especially on lateral movement and during extended drives.
- Narrow base and wide hand placement expose his chest to double teams and combo blocks.
- Block recognition needs work; gets caught off guard by trap blocks and down blocks.
- Limited starts with only one season as a full-time starter despite five years in the program.
- Broken fibula in 2023, knee surgery in high school from a car accident.
Summary
Benny can be a strong addition for a team in need of a run-first 3-technique. With five years of experience, he has a strong build for the next level, standing at 6-foot-3 and 298 pounds. With an arm length of 33 ⅜ inches, he can hold his gap, shed blocks with his length and make stops at or near the line of scrimmage. On early run downs, his experience in Michigan’s pro-style system means he understands responsibility-based defense at a high level. If Benny is asked to eat blocks and keep linebackers clean, he could really thrive in a rotation at the next level.
Benny also comes with some major concerns. He was the top defensive tackle for the Wolverines this past season, providing opportunities for him to play on both run and pass downs. However, while his run-defense was strong for the most part, he struggled on passing downs. He played more than 1,200 snaps in college, and only had five sacks and 12 total tackles for loss.
He also has a medical history that could give NFL teams pause. Benny had two major injuries in high school and college, raising questions about his durability and his longevity when he gets to the NFL. He will likely not see the field in a starting capacity in the NFL, but if a team can use him in a rotation alongside starting-caliber 3-techs, he could eat up snaps and provide a strong floor.
In a deep defensive tackle class, Benny’s experience and run-stopping ability should get him drafted, though he will have a long way to go to be more than a depth piece at the next level.
