Mel Kiper Jr says Benjamin is a ‘very intriguing’ prospect

CORAL GABLES – Tommy Streeter is widely considered to be the premier Miami Hurricanes receiver available in next week’s NFL Draft, but ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. considers Travis Benjamin “very intriguing” as a more proven alternative.

“He can probably give you a little bit more in terms of overall versatility, which is what teams want early on,” Kiper Jr. said on a conference call Wednesday.

“He’s a flier. He’s a great athlete. Tremendously fast. And when you think about what he can do in the return game, he might give you a little more early on while Streeter is developing.”

Kiper Jr. said Streeter “needed some more time at Miami,” where he was a factor just one season. He led the Hurricanes in receiving with 46 catches for 811 yards and eight touchdowns as a redshirt junior in 2011. Benjamin was second on the team with 41 catches for 609 yards and three touchdowns after 43 catches for 743 yards and three touchdowns as a junior in 2010.

“As a pure receiver, maybe Streeter down the road can…push for the third [receiver] spot [on a team], maybe the second spot,” he said. “He’s a big kid. 6-5, angular. At 6-5 he can definitely present some matchup problems.

“But he’s a one-year wonder. He’s got some work to do. Down the road, two, three years, Streeter may be the better pure receiver, but I think the versatility that Benjamin provides will help him.”

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(sun-sentinel.com)