West Virginia football only had one player selected in the 2018 NFL Draft, but a handful landed on NFL rosters, namely linebacker Al-Rasheed Benton.
Following the draft, NFL teams scrambled to sign the best remaining undrafted free agents. Some teams take fliers on speedy receivers or big-bodied offensive lineman, while others look for more refined players that might be able to contribute right away. However, they’re all hoping to land on-field contributors; the Detroit Lions added just that in West Virginia linebacker Al-Rasheed Benton.
While anchoring the middle of Tony Gibson’s 3-3-5 defense, Benton tallied a team-high 110 tackles as a senior in 2017. He wasn’t simply absorbing contact and ankle-biting ballcarriers to the ground, though. Benton did a great job of getting downhill and made 13.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage, including 3.5 sacks. He did however struggle with missed tackles.
His immediate role at the next level will likely be in short-yardage situations helping defend the run. With running backs like Jordan Howard and Dalvin Cook populating the NFC North, Benton should get plenty of opportunities to make a name for himself.
Benton is no stranger to dropping in coverage either, but he’ll need to improve to be a consistent fixture in pass situations. He didn’t allow a single touchdown in coverage last season, but was only targeted 33 times, per PFF. Pro Football Focus also ranked Benton the 11th-best linebacker leading up to the draft.
Detroit Lions’ head coach Matt Patricia is a former linebackers coach and has plenty of experience with the position. I’m not projecting a Hall of Fame career for Benton just yet, but Patricia’s worked with the likes of Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest, Junior Seau and Mike Vrabel, among others. So if there’s anyone Benton can flourish under, it’s this current regime in Detroit.
Patricia also points out an emphasis for building a defense from the inside-out. Per the Detroit Lions official website, Patricia believes you should, “Start in the middle and work out. You always want to be strong in the middle of your defense.” He continues, “So, anybody who plays through the core, whether it’s linebackers or safeties, those guys are critically important to what you’re trying to do.”
What should realistic expectations for an undrafted free agent be, though? A practice squad champion? To contribute on special teams? A spot starter?
Next: NFL Draft 2019: Way-too-early top 5 prospects
Each player’s story and career arc differs, but there are plenty of undrafted free agents who had careers Benton can try to mirror. Chris Harris, James Harrison, Larry Little, John Randle, Tony Romo and Kurt Warner all went undrafted out of college. Some took different paths to reach stardom, but Benton’s begins with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent. Just how good can this Mountaineer be?