How One Scout's Report On Ravens 7th Round Pick Reveals 3rd Round Talent

The more people we talk to about Ravens seventh-round pick, defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny, the more intrigued we get.

When you factor in how big a position of need this is, and its importance in the overall game of football, it makes you want to drill down more on the Benny selection. When you consider that somehow in the last two drafts, despite a slew of prospects, the Ravens took just two of them, and every evaluator I spoke to already greatly prefers Benny to last year’s sixth-round pick, Aeneas Peebles, it makes me want to learn more.

And when considering that somehow the Ravens have invested more in punters the last five years than this position, it makes you want to shake your head … but also places even more importance of Benny becoming the diamond in the rough so many believe he can.

After going over his selection on a more surface level with some general managers and higher ranking personnel execs I wanted to speak more in depth with someone who scouted him at a granular level, over a period of time, and also evaluated the entire class of players at the position, and is also something of an evaluating savant over decades.

So, yeah, I know a guy. How many times did this scout watch Benny? “Seven full games the last two years,” he said, plus, obviously, other cutups and highlights. Consider him a fan.

Surprised He Was Available At Pick 250?

“Insane, absolutely insane,” he said. "Fifth round would have been tremendous value. He should have gone way higher than this. This guy is a player. He’s going to play right away, and Benny can be a starter for them eventually. That’s not a reach to say.

“This kid has versatility as a three tech or a five tech. It’s not like he’s some little guy, or some bad body just taking up space. He has legit measurables – 6-5, 298, strong, athletic enough. This kid might have been the best pick in the fifth round and they got him in the seventh. You look at the measurables and the wingspan, he’s got blue (chip) traits, okay? We’ve got an 81 5/8th wingspan.

“These are like blue numbers for a three technique (DT). This is a legit football player. This isn’t some project.”

Go to any draft publication and you get an immediate feel for Benny’s willingness to get down and dirty at the line of scrimmage and play the run. Evaluators quickly point to his motor. But what about getting to the quarterback, something he didn’t do a ton of, and he didn’t really play regularly until last season?

“I see an instinctive run defender with finesse pass rush skill,” the scout said. “The only real drawback is he didn’t play that much. But why? Well he has two first-round picks playing in front of him at Michigan, that’s why. He didn’t get to start until they got drafted …

“I’ll tell you what happens, when, say you are doing the Big 10 and doing Michigan and you’ve been watching Mason Graham (DT 5th overall in 2025) and (Kenneth) Grant (DT 13th overall in 2025), and it messes with your head. You get used to seeing those two and I think subconsciously you end up dinging a kid like this, who is a different package entirely. But come on man, no way he should get past the fourth down.”

Can He Actually Get To The Quarterback?

Okay, so let’s get a little more specific on the pass rush, because if he ends up being the understudy to Nnamdi Madubuike coming off neck surgery, there has to be some of that.

“Benny has sufficient pass-rush moves, sufficient power,” the scout said. “Good speed, he’s good on stunts, reads them well. I like his leg strength. He has limited counter moves, and he can bull rush. It’s in there. I like it.

“He’s not going to blow you away with the pass rush, I’m not going to tell you he’s a very good pass rusher, but it’s plenty sufficient and I think the kid can improve and he has all the traits and length. He’s lean and mean.”

Where Does Benny Fit In The Depth Chart?

“Dude, he goes in way above Peebles, right now, it’s not even close,” the scout said. “I did him. That’s not close And Broderick Washington, different body but this kid can play on early downs.

“Look, he’s going to struggle with power if the double gap him. Yeah, sure,, leverage could be a problem there. He’s a little light in the ass. It’s not the total package. But the coaching staff knows him from Michigan, and I think it’s a good spot for him.

“Even when he didn’t play much last year, this kid flashed. I wrote him up last year and liked him then. This is like a B player who got drafted like he was a C-minus player. They got tremendous value here. He could end up being one of the better players in their draft.”

Anyone else getting fired up for training camp?

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