Source: Arrelious Benn has visited the Bengals, Cowboys, Patriots and Steelers

University of Illinois wide receiver Arrelious Benn has visited the Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to a league source.

Next week, he has a meeting with the Denver Broncos.

Benn has previously conducted a private workout for the Broncos.

Benn took his visit to New England last week when Dez Bryant was there.

We’re told that the Steelers are extremely high on Benn, who met with coach Mike Tomlin during his visit.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneeers, who meet Sunday with Bryant, also have a high grade on Benn.

Benn ran the 40-yard dash in 4.36 and 4.39 seconds during his Pro Day workout on the Illinois campus last month.

"I was definitely pleased with what I did," Benn told National Football Post in a telephone interview. "I got a lot of positive feedback from the teams. I'm happy about it."

The 6-foot-1, 220-pounder said his pass patterns were much more fluid than his work at the combine where he slipped on some patterns during drills and had some dropped passes.

"I slipped on a speed out route at the combine," Benn said. "Where I'm from, it's a step route and it's hard to run around a cone. Today, I did what I normally do. Everything was more crisp, not that the combine was bad.

"At the combine, I was dealing with a lot of things and I kind of get sidetracked the last day. You've got to press through it. I'm always going to represent well."

Benn bench pressed 225 pounds 20 times at the combine, the best at his position, and posted a 37-inch vertical leap.

Benn has been training with New York Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie out in California.

"That helps me a lot," Benn said. "I try to soak up whatever I can learn and be a sponge."

Because of his superior size, Benn hopes to bully smaller defensive backs.

"With my size, I always feel like I have the advantage," he said.

Benn caught 159 career passes for 2,221 yards and seven touchdowns at Illinois, but his production dipped to 38 receptions for 490 yards last season mostly because of shaky quarterback play and a high-ankle sprain.

As a sophomore, he caught 67 passes for 1,059 yards and was named first-team All-Big Ten Conference.

Benn said he patterns his game after several NFL star wide receivers, including Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson, Hines Ward and Anquan Boldin.

"You want to always have that physicality," Benn said. "You want that defensive mentality on offense. Those guys are for real. You can take something away from watching them."

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