The Raiders finally take a wide receiver, just a little farther down the board then people expected them too. The Raiders used the 195th overall pick, after trading down from 185th overall to select Oregon standout Malik Benson. The former Alabama, Florida State, and Oregon product adds a potential player that can work the slot, Z, and X.
Introduction:
Age: 23 Height: 6’1 Weight: 195 Stats: 74 receptions, 1118 yards (15.1 YPR), 8 TD, 4 drops (5.1% drop rate), 61.5% contested catch rate (16/26) | 9 PR, 161 yards,
TD
- Career best 43 receptions, 719 yards, 6 TD in 2026 with just 1 drop (2.7%), and 5/8 on contested catches.
RAS Testing:
- 4.37 40 (1.54 10 Split), 32.5 Vert, 10’02 Broad | 7.45 RAS score
Positives:
Benson has elite track speed, and is a true vertical threat WR. He has a quick release, good first step, and acceleration out of cuts is among the best in the class. He does a great job sinking his hips, has natural lower body flexibility, and Benson is a well rounded versatile WR. He forces teams to respect his true speed, he plays physical through the route, and while he can be a bit stiff at times changing directions, he shows a good ability to sink and run both in, out, and dagger concepts. He tracks the ball well over his shoulder, does a good job high pointing the ball and will come down with contested catches consistently. Benson is able to turn to the ball quickly, he’s got soft natural hands, and extends out of his frame consistently which helps him go out and make highlight reel catches. Benton converts to a runner after the catch, does a good job with his YAC skills. Benson is best working 11+ yards downfield, he has a good frame, but he’ll need to tap into his physicality more often. Benson does a good job working between Z, slot, and X. Benson shows an ability to be a back shoulder threat, with good body control, balance, and he also explodes through the cut to make a play and find holes in coverages. He provides special teams value, and should be able to carve out a role as the Raiders punt returner where he’s shifty in space, shows good short area agility, and has physical profile to fight through tackles.
Weakness:
Benson struggles in the short part of the game, he is best when he has a runway but not a short area stop and start specialist. He’s an average run blocker, with below average technique, but the overall effort does show at times. He’s not a diverse route runner, with lacking head fakes and body manipulation, mainly relying on his speed, acceleration and instant move. Additionally, I’d like to see Benton utilize his frame more often on the beginning of the route, where he could box out defenders and create more separation instead of relying on it later down the field. He’s transferred a few times, which is a red flag, and he hasn’t seen a ton of experience or provided a large volume of production. Benson had a limited route tree, and he can tend to look to run before he catches at times, which caused the majority of his few drops.
Recap:
Benton projects as a potential future WR2 if he can develop correctly, if not he’s likely a third option or depth but shows a lot of traits that can help develop him into a quality receiver for a team down the board. He has great physical profile in his strength & speed, but he’ll need to become more consistent with his usage. Additionally, Benson shows an ability to adapt to the ball in the air, be a threat in designed YAC situations such as screens, and he shows good “wiggle” to turn and run with the ball in his hands. Reese can be an instant dynamic rotational receiver for the Raiders, and he does provide versatility across the offensive system to slot in and get designed looks, or at worse stretch the field. He’ll compete with Donte’ Thornton for a role, but Benson’s physicality, contested catch ability, and lower body flexibility may give him an advantage.
Pro Comp: Jalen Nailor
Ceiling: Third receiver
Floor: Practice Squad
Consensus: 190
