Ty Benefield S LSU |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #2 ROLE: Man-Zone Slot/Nickel Safety | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 11/03/2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2027 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.48 seconds (79%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #2 | |
| ROLE: Man-Zone Slot/Nickel Safety | |
| Last Updated: 11/03/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2027 | |
| Forty time: 4.48 seconds (79%*) | |
| Overall Rating: |
84.9 / 100
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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74% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| QB Rating When targeted: | 78.1 | |
| Tackling: |
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84% |
| Run Defense: |
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82% |
| Coverage: |
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74% |
| Zone: |
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65% |
| Man/Press: |
|
76% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
2nd - Late
Overall Rank:
#61
Position rank:
#9 (DB)
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| College Games: 49 College Snaps: 2662 | ||
ESPN RATING: 72/100
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247 RATING: 87/100
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| VJ Payne - Kansas State |
|
80% |
| Jonas Sanker - Virginia |
|
79% |
| Cole Bishop - Utah |
|
79% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Ty Benefield grew up in Altadena, California, and played receiver and safety in high school, catching 90 passes for 1,404 yards and 20 touchdowns and intercepting four passes as a senior. His father, Daved Benefield, played 13 seasons in the CFL, holds the league's single-game sack record and spent 1996 with the San Francisco 49ers. A three-star recruit by 247Sports, Ty signed with Boise State.Benefield played as a freshman in 2023, starting five games and making 46 tackles and three sacks, then made 82 tackles with two interceptions in 2024 as the Broncos reached the playoff. In 2025 he led the team with more than 100 tackles, adding 8.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and a forced fumble, and he was a first-team All-Mountain West pick and the defensive MVP of the conference title game win over UNLV. Boise State went 29-13 with three Mountain West titles in his three seasons, and he made 28 straight starts.
Benefield transferred to LSU in January 2026 as the No. 2 safety in the portal, saying the NFL defensive backs who came through the program stood out to him. He broke up a third-down pass on Clemson's first drive of the opener, intercepted a pass against Mississippi State and has two sacks in eight games for a 6-2 team. Lane Kiffin has said he is wired right, with unbelievable range and great ball skills, and he was ranked No. 1 on the CFL Scouting Bureau's preseason list.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Tall, rangy safety with good speed to cover the deep half
- Productive tackler, with more than 100 tackles in 2025
- Ball skills shown with five career interceptions, including one against Mississippi State this season
- Effective blitzer, with two sacks in eight games this season
- Cleaned up his tackling, with three misses in eight games this season
- Started more than 35 games across two programs
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Missed 26 tackles in 2025, a severe finishing problem at Boise State
- Gave up four touchdowns in coverage in 2025
- Most of his production came against Mountain West competition
- Coverage against quicker slot receivers is still a question
Scouting Report: Summary
Benefield is a rangy, productive safety who plays fast and takes the ball away. He made more than 100 tackles at Boise State in 2025, has five career interceptions and was the defensive MVP of the Mountain West title game, and Lane Kiffin has praised his range and ball skills. His size and speed let him cover ground from the deep half, and he is a willing blitzer, with two sacks this fall. He brings 28 straight starts from Boise State and has started every game at LSU.The biggest change in 2026 has been his tackling. After missing 26 tackles in 2025, he has missed three in eight games against SEC competition, and he has been steady in coverage, allowing nine catches on 19 targets without a touchdown. He intercepted a pass against Mississippi State and broke up a key third-down throw against Clemson for a 6-2 LSU team. He also made nine tackles in the win over Texas A&M.
However, the 2025 tape still raises questions. He gave up four touchdowns in coverage and missed far too many tackles, and most of his production came against Mountain West competition. His coverage against quicker slot receivers is still developing, and teams will want to see the cleaner 2026 version hold through November against the best offenses on LSU's schedule. He did miss two tackles at Ole Miss.
Overall, Benefield has the range, ball skills and experience of a starting safety, and his move to the SEC has answered some of the questions about his level of competition. He projects as a second-round safety with the ceiling of a quality starter and the floor of a box safety and special teams contributor. His father's long CFL career gives him a strong football background, and the CFL Scouting Bureau ranked him first on its preseason list.
How other scouting services rate Ty Benefield (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
54.4
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
9.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.