Stetson Bennett caught Les Snead’s eye while studying Georgia’s offensive line

Stetson Bennett caught Les Snead’s eye while studying Georgia’s offensive line

Two-time national champion and former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett got drafted in the fourth round (No. 128 overall) by the Los Angeles Rams in the 2023 NFL Draft Saturday.

Les Snead, Sean McVay and the Rams entered the draft with Matthew Stafford as the only quarterback on their roster.

Bennett will now have a great opportunity to back up and learn from another fellow former Georgia quarterback in Stafford. Interestingly enough, Bennett caught Rams general manager Les Snead’s attention during film evaluation of Georgia’s offensive line.

“Georgia has got a good offensive line so anytime you’d go to watch defenders in the SEC you’d go, ‘Oh, let’s watch Georgia. They’re the best team. They’ve got a good offensive line and it was interesting,’” Snead said. “You just come away going, ‘Wow, I thought people said Stetson Bennett was just maybe, whatever kind of manage-the-game-type QB’. But what you did is you just go, ‘Whoa, wait a minute. Look at that guy move. Look at him buy some time. Look at him anticipate some throws.’ And just you come away thinking, ‘Wow, he was a weapon for Georgia.’”

Snead and the Rams did draft a Georgia offensive lineman Warren McClendon in the fifth round, but Bennett’s selection really caught the interest of the NFL world. The Rams are rolling with what appears to be a fully-healthy Stafford this season, but if Los Angeles experiences a repeat of last season, Bennett may be starting sooner than expected.

How will Sean McVay utilize Bennett?

The biggest negative attached to Bennett is the fact that he is entering the NFL at 25-years-old, making him not the best fit for most teams that were looking for a quarterback. The Rams were arguably the best situation for a player like Bennett to end up in, which allows Sean McVay to mold him into Stafford’s potential successor.

“What a great opportunity for him to come in and learn from a perennial All-Pro, a great football player who’s been doing it at a high level,” McVay said. “He’s a natural thrower of the football. He can play with great anticipation, throws the ball with accuracy, plays within the timing.”

Stafford and the then-reigning champion Rams crashed hard last season. Stafford spent the second half of the season on injured reserve with multiple lingering injuries, meaning Bennett could end up starting if Stafford is injured again. He will need to utilize Stafford’s advice to get up to NFL speed quickly.

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Snead made the best of their selections in the 2023 draft, adding depth at many positions groups that were stretched thin last season, including quarterback. Bennett will not have many excuses for not succeeding in backing up Stafford and having offensive mastermind McVay as his coach.

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