Elijah Benton: What the Browns are getting in their UDFA safety from Liberty
The Cleveland Browns added 15 undrafted free agents. GM Andrew Berry dove deep into some smaller school guys, including two defenders from Liberty. Cleveland is clearly trying to add pieces to the defensive backfield and add more depth to a positional group that lacks superior quality.
Name: Elijah Benton
Position: Safety
School: Liberty
Height: 6-0
Weight: 205 pounds
Strengths: Much like his teammate, Solomon Ajayi, Benton was rumored to be poised for a major pro day, but due to COVID-19 the event was canceled. As stated in the tweet above, Benton has a very impressive 2018 season and really shined in a few games including against Old Dominion where he was named Defensive Player of the Week for accounting for eight tackles and one pass deflection, which came on a key fourth-down play in the fourth quarter. He ended that season with 76 tackles, which tied for the team lead.
Weaknesses: A major jump was expected for Benton in 2019 and although he still had a statistically productive season, like his tape nothing really jumps off the page. Although he hasn’t missed any significant time with injury, his smallish frame could be an indicator of issues to come. Benton didn’t dominate against the lower competition that Liberty faces and there is nothing to indicate that the jump to the NFL will be very easy.
Overall: Benton has an uphill battle to make the final roster. Unless he can show that he can contribute on special teams, I just don’t see any value here or even the potential for Benton to become a consistent contributor. The Browns staff clearly sees something that I do not and the safety depth is weak, but seeing his name on the final roster would be shocking.
