Tim Tebow is the talk of the NFL in terms of comeback attempts, as the former quarterback will try to resurrect his career at tight end with the Jaguars this season.
But Tebow won’t be only one, as former wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin will look to make an impact at tight end with the Giants this season.
Benjamin, a former first-round pick by the Panthers, hasn’t played since 2018, when he was targeted 67 times for 25 receptions in 15 combined games with the Bills and Chiefs, but he will try to reinvent himself at a new position where Big Blue already has Evan Engram and Kyle Rudolph.
But one former Carolina great thinks Benjamin is a prime candidate to find new success at a new position.
Wesley Walls, a tight end with the Panthers from 1996 to 2002 (he was named to five Pro Bowls in that span), said on the latest Upon Further Review podcast that Benjamin has all the physical attributes to make him a successful tight end in the NFL.
“At tight end, he’s big enough where he can bruise around and bang off people,” Walls said. “Some receivers are thinking that would be an insult, ‘OK, I’m not fast enough to be a receiver and now you want me to be a tight end?’ Honestly, some people are built better to be a tight end than a wide receiver, and that’s Kelvin Benjamin. He just fits the position better if you ask me.”
Walls thought Benjamin was the tight end type when he first saw him arrive at Carolina, where he played his first two-plus seasons before being traded to the Bills during the 2017 season.
“When I first saw him, I said ‘that guy is a good looking tight end,’” Walls said. “He’s our lead receiver, but I think he’s going to make a big difference too at that position.”
The first hurdle for Benjamin will be to crack New York’s 53-man roster, a task few would have expected after he eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in his rookie season. But coming up on three years removed from the NFL, Walls believes Benjamin has a legit shot to recreate himself and find his way back to the NFL, and maybe more.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if that guy has a great year,” Walls said. “It’s going to take him some time to get down in that three-point stance to try and handle some of these defensive ends and linebackers, but he’ll figure it out. He’s a great athlete.”
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