As soon as he entered the NFL, the expectations were very high for Michael Bennett. After longtime running back Robert Smith abruptly retired after the 2000 season, the Minnesota Vikings selected Bennett in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft to be their new starter in the backfield.
Bennett was coming off his junior year at Wisconsin that saw him rush for 1,681 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Vikings clearly felt his performance was good enough to draft him in the first round.
After an up-and-down rookie season with Minnesota in 2001, Bennett ended up earning a trip to the Pro Bowl during his second year with the team after rushing for 1,296 yards, catching 37 passes for 351 yards, and scoring six touchdowns.