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The Carolina Panthers selected Kelvin Benjamin with pick No. 28 of the NFL draft. Receiver is a major need for the panthers. He is the first FSU player selected in the draft.
Kelvin Benjamin is one of the most interesting players in the 2014 draft. Out of Belle Glade (Fla.), he missed part of his senior season in high school by virtue of exceeding the FHSAA's football age limit of 19 years, 9 months. Benjamin came out of Florida State as a redshirt sophomore, but he is 23 years old.
Benjamin didn't play at all in 2011 as a freshman, redshirting, and focusing mainly on his academics and maturity. He was a disappointment in 2012, relative to the whispers that came out of off-season workouts of him being uncover-able.
But in 2013, everything seemed to change. Benjamin wasn't perfect, but he did dominate in some of the biggest games, proving to be a touchdown machine, a devastating blocker, an unstoppable force in the red zone, a better route runner than some believed, and yet, still a player with a lot of room to improve.
Here are his accolades via his FSU bio.
SI.com All-America First Team
Coaches All-ACC Second Team
All-ACC Third Team2013: Proved to be one of the most physically gifted receivers in the nation in his final season...led the ACC with 15 receiving touchdowns and ranked tied for third in the nation...averaged a touchdown every 3.6 catches - second-best mark in the country among wide receivers...scored the game winning touchdown in the VIZIO BCS National Championship on a 2-yard grab with 13 seconds remaining in the game...finished with four receptions for 54 yards versus Auburn at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif...had one of nation's most impressive receiving performances at Florida, dominating the Gators' secondary and setting a new career mark in almost every statistical category by finishing with nine catches for 212 yards and three touchdowns...his 212-yard performance was the best by a receiver in the ACC and the eighth-best total in Seminole history...added five receptions for 119 yards and two touchdowns against Duke in the ACC Championship Game...also had three catches for 61 yards and two touchdowns versus Idaho...in his last four games, Benjamin had 21 receptions for 446 yards (21.2 ypc) and eight touchdowns...tied the FSU single-season touchdown catch record...one of two FSU receivers to reach 1,000 yards receiving...had six catches for 66 yards and one score versus Syracuse...Made his first career start at Pitt in the season opener and started every successive game in 2013...Grabbed his first touchdown on the season against Bethune-Cookman...posted his first career 100-yard game at Boston College with three grabs for 103 yards...caught five balls for two touchdowns against Maryland...selected First Team All-America by SI.com...selected to the All-ACC Second Team by the coaches and All-ACC Third Team by media.
I really don't have all that much to add to Steven White's SB Nation scouting report on Benjamin. It's excellent. A lot of people believe Benjamin is the definition of a boom-or-bust prospect, and I am with them. If he stays motivated, is surrounded by people who can keep him on track, and stays healthy, he can be great.