Stetson Bennett will be one of 12 Georgia players present at next week’s NFL draft combine in Indianapolis. Bennett will get to meet with teams while also partaking in drills and athletic tests at the combine.
Bennett showcased his skills throughout his time at Georgia. While Bennett is older than some of his counterparts, he is the same age as Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker. Bennett also possesses similar measurables to that of Bryce Young, who Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network sees as a candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick in the event a quarterback-needy team moves up to the No. 1 slot.
Jeremiah expects Bennett to be a day-three pick, which is when rounds four through seven take place. A strong performance at the combine could help answer some of the lingering questions scouts and executives have about Bennett.
“Stetson Bennett is a tricky one,” Jeremiah said on a conference call with reporters on Friday. “Gosh, the guy has won two National Championships. He’s shown the ability to make a lot of different throws. He is just to me streaky as a thrower. He has some bad misses where you’ll see -- you’ll see worm burners on low flat routes and swing routes. Like, what was that? Then you’ll see him squeeze the ball in tight windows later on in that same game. He is just a little bit streaky, a little inconsistent there.”
While leading the Bulldogs to a 15-0 season, Bennett had 27 passing touchdowns to go along with 10 rushing touchdowns. Bennett was at his best against ranked foes and was outright magnificent in the College Football Playoff. He threw for seven touchdowns, ran for three and threw just one interception in wins over Ohio State and TCU.
Related: Stetson Bennett thanks those who were always with him as he moves on to NFL challenges
Bennett is no stranger to having to prove himself, as he did it multiple times at Georgia. First as a walk-on and then again as he ascended up the depth chart. He went 10-1 in games against Young, Hooker, Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud, Kentucky quarterback Will Levis and Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson. Those are expected to be the first five quarterbacks off the board in some order.
Jeremiah is somewhat skeptical of Bennett but an NFL general manager made an interesting comparison between Bennett and Young. One that may end up helping the Georgia quarterback come draft day.
“Really undersized guy,” Jeremiah said. “But I was talking with a GM, gosh, had to be over a month ago, and he just said if Bryce Young can be the first overall pick at his size, then why is Stetson Bennett talked about as a sixth or seventh round pick at his size? I said, well, he is a better player. He says, no, I get that, but is the gap six rounds wide, you know? Or could you take him in the third, fourth round? I don’t know.”
Bennett will meet with reporters on Friday before going through drills on Saturday, March 4. Bennett did not attend the Senior Bowl following a last-minute offer. The Georgia quarterback will also likely have to explain to teams his public intoxication arrest that occurred on January 29.
The last Georgia quarterback drafted was Jake Fromm, who went in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Georgia has not had a quarterback taken in the first four rounds of the NFL draft since Matthew Stafford went first overall in the 2009 NFL Draft.
“People are going to have their opinions. My job is to go out there and play football,” Bennett said while accepting the Manning Award in January. “To get the ball in athletes’ hands and do it consistently and play hard and play to win. People can say whatever, I hear it but I don’t really let it bother me.”
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