ESPN had projected that Michigan football defensive tackle Rayshaun Benny would be a fourth-round pick, having predicted him at No. 122 overall to the Atlanta Falcons. Well, he had to wait a bit beyond that.
But the wait ended up being worthwhile.
Benny finally got the call that his NFL dreams were coming true, but he had to wait until the seventh round, not long before the 2026 NFL draft was set to culminate. Even so, he got the roster call, having been selected by his former defensive coordinator, Jesse Minter, now the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens, with the No. 250 pick.
Benny is listed as a defensive end by Baltimore, despite being an obvious tackle. He played for two years under Minter (2022-23) as an often-used reserve before ultimately getting the opportunity to start under Wink Martindale.
With 1.5 sacks and three tackles for loss in 2025, and 1.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss in 2024, Benny didn’t have major production in college, but he was an adept run stopper and a force in the middle of the defense.
In an ironic twist, the Detroit native was selected by Baltimore while the Baltimore native, Derrick Moore, was selected by Detroit.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Rayshaun Benny drafted by Ravens, reunites with coach
Reporting by Isaiah Hole, Wolverines Wire / Wolverines Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
