Again, Brown could prove more valuable this year but it’s such a tough call right now. Still, my gut says Benson.

A few weeks ago, I would’ve given the nod to Brown since he was actually in camp and Benson was still holding out. Now, I’m not so sure. Each rookie is dealing with a crowded backfield: Brown has Ricky Williams to worry about while Benson is behind Thomas Jones. Still, they’re each in distinctly different situations, at least early on. Brown should be the starter in Miami while Ricky serves his four-game suspension, which gives Brown an opportunity to flash his potential and maybe even lock up the starting gig for the remainder of the season. Benson, on the other hand, will be serving as Jones’ backup for the forseeable future, and I wouldn’t expect that to change until at least week four or five, possibly even later than that.

So just when Brown may start to share the load with Ricky, Benson may become the starter in Chicago. Of course, the Dolphins could deal Williams before or shortly after he returns from his suspension, which would leave the featured-back role entirely to Brown, and the Bears may leave Benson on the bench for the majority of the season if Jones performs well.

In other words, I don’t know. Brown’s been going higher than Benson in most drafts I’ve been in, but that gap has closed considerably since Benson signed. If I had to guess, I’d say both backs will be starting by season’s end, and that Ricky will either be with another team or out of Miami’s plans entirely. My gut tells me Benson may be the better back this year, but at this point, it’s really a toss-up in my mind.