Stetson NFL Senior

ATHENS — Stetson Bennett is no different than any other NFL Draft prospect in the sense he has work to do and questions to answer.

Bennett, however, faces longer odds of being drafted than some of the other elite quarterbacks in this draft class, according to oddschecker.com.

The website reports there’s a 40-percent chance Bennett signs with a free-agent. Oddschecker’s odds on Bennett’s draft position:

• Undrafted +150 (40 percent)

• 7th round +250 (28.6 percent)

• 5th round +300 (25 percent)_

• 6th round +350 (22.2 percent)

• 4th round +500 (16.7 percent)

• 3rd round +800 (11.1 percent)

• 2nd round +2500 (3.8 percent)

Prove it

Bennett is a two-time CFP Championship quarterback, but right or wrong, there’s a perception Todd Monken’s brilliant scheme and Georgia’s star-studded support cast had a great deal to do with the team’s success.

The good news for Bennett — along with fellow Georgia stars and Senior Bowl invitees Kenny McIntosh, Chris Smith and Warren McClendon — is the Senior Bowl offers a chance to showcase individual talents and playmaking.

The event takes place next week in Mobile, Ala., and will be attended by hundreds of NFL personnel including owners, head coaches, general managers and scouts.

In Bennett’s case, it’s an ideal scenario because he would be coached by Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who helped devise a scheme that led to Justin Fields’ success as a mobile QB in the league last year.

Bennett can’t do anything about the questions about his age (25) or size (5-foot-10, 185 pounds), but he can show his talents, coachability and ability to pick up an offense should he accept a Senior Bowl invitation.

Bennett does not have his bachelor’s degree to this point -- he’s expected to get it this spring -- but he scored over a 30 on his ACT and is said to be a quick study.

Coachability background

NFL teams judge players for themselves, but they also take into account what they hear and observe from the coach and player interactions.

Bennett’s love-hate relationship with offensive coordinator Todd Monken was well-documented, and it is a question that NFL teams have asked about, per sources close to the draft process.

“Obviously we butt heads,” said Bennett, who has expressed an appreciation for Monken’s coaching, even while referring to his style as “anal” at SEC Media Days and sharing that he was slow to take his coaching.

“I feel like before (Monken) got here, I didn’t really understand football,” Bennett said during the lead-up to the CFP Peach Bowl Semifinal in Atlanta. “It’s weird, even in 2020, didn’t really know what was going on. You know, I guess I knew what play was called.

“It’s just the countless meetings. Maybe I’m a slow learner, but finally, it did start clicking whenever he would tell me the same thing for the 20th time and look at me like I was, you know, like why do you not do what I just tell you to do? I’m your coach.”

Monken is like many NFL coaches in that he does not show much patience in such instances, leading UGA defensive lineman Warren Brinson to playfully nickname him the “White Tornado.”

Bennett explained how Georgia worked around his relationship with Monken by utilizing former UGA quality control assistant Buster Faulkner — now the offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech — as a “mediator between me and monk.”

Bennett explained his emotional style of play was such that it just worked better that way.

“Me and Monk don’t really talk during the games, which I think is probably a good thing just because we’re both so … passionate,” Bennett said.

“Buster listens to what Monk says and filters it out. Obviously, he doesn’t tell me everything because people say stuff in the heat of the moment and Monk’s going to say stuff and I don’t need to hear all of that just because he doesn’t need to hear everything I need to say.”

NFL reps

Monken has been rumored as a top candidate for the offensive coordinator position in Tampa, and is well-known and respected around the NFL.

Bennett is like other collegiate quarterbacks who must prove they can make the transition, regardless of their talents or where they get selected in the draft.

The NFL does not play favorites from the standpoint it is performance oriented and the players who win games — like Bennett did at Georgia — are the ones who start.

San Francisco’s current quarterback, seventh-round pick and former Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy, is the latest in a line of formerly uncelebrated players who have made the most of their opportunities.

Recent CFP MVP history suggests the NFL should be interested in Bennett, and that’s likely why he was able to sign with a powerhouse contract agency that also represents Patrick Mahomes and Tua Tagovailoa.

Here’s a list of former CFP and BCS Championship Game MVP Quarterbacks and where they were drafted:

• Stetson Bennett (2021-2022), ?

• Joe Burrow (2019), No. 1 overall, first round

• Trevor Lawrence (2018), No. 1 overall, first round

• Tua Tagovailoa (2017), No. 5 overall, first round

• Deshaun Watson (2016), No. 12 overall, first round

• Jameis Winston (2013), No. 1 overall, first round

• A.J. McCarron (2011), No. 164 overall, fifth round

• Tim Tebow (2008), No. 25 overall, first round

• Matt Flynn (2007), No 209 overall, seventh round

• Chris Leak (2006), Undrafted

• Vince Young (2005), No. 3 overall, first round

• Matt Leinart (2004), No. 10 overall, first round

• Craig Krenzel (2002), No. 148 overall, fifth round

• Ken Dorsey (2001), No. 214 overall, seventh round

Amazing journey

Bennett, obviously is the author of his own story and only he can determine how it turns out.

There were those who told Bennett to ride off into the sunset following the 2021 championship season, and he returned and accomplished even more by helping Georgia to a perfect 15-0 season.

There will likely be some around Bennett telling him to cash in on his storybook collegiate career and not risk failing in the NFL.

But Bennett, to this point, has proven resilient and intent on extending his football career as long as he possibly can.