Stetson Bennett Scouting Report and NFL Draft Profile

 

 

Stetson Bennett Scouting Report: Georgia Bulldogs, Quarterback, #13

 

 

2023 NFL Draft Measurements

5’11” / 192 lbs.

Stetson Bennett 40 Time – 4.67

 

 

Stetson Bennett Draft Profile

 

Playing Career

Bennett is a former 3-star recruit out of Pierce County High School in Blackshear, Georgia. In the 2017 recruiting class, 247sports had Bennett ranked as the 197th best player in Georgia. They also had him ranked as the 74th-best pro-style quarterback in the nation. After only receiving 4 division I offers, he decided to take his talent to Junior College and play for Jones College. Bennett played 2 seasons for Jones before entering the transfer portal. After entering the portal, he received offers from five division I programs. These schools were Samford, Louisiana, Kent State, UMass, and Georgia. After enrolling at Georgia, Bennett played 4 seasons where he would lead the Bulldogs to two national championship titles. In those four seasons, he completed 599 passes and racked up 8,427 yards for 66 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.

 

2023 NFL Combine Performance

After such a successful collegiate career, he got invited to the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. At the combine, he recorded a 40 time of 4.67 seconds with a 1.59 10-second split. He also recorded a 33.5″ vertical jump and a 9’10” broad jump.

 

Stetson Bennett Strengths

 

Accuracy

When watching his film, the part of Bennett’s game that stands out the most is his accuracy. Throughout his career in Athens, he had a cumulative completion percentage of 64.6%. On short-intermediate throws, Bennett does a good job of hitting his receiver in stride. This allows them to rack up many yards after the catch. When watching his film, he was the most fun to watch when he was throwing to his deadly tight end duo of Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington. Bennett always did a good job of placing the ball where it needed to be for them to make the grab and rack up extra yards. Although he doesn’t have the best arm strength, he does a good job of delivering accurate passes deep down the field.

 

Decision Making

Stetson Bennett is very smart when he is in the pocket and rarely forces throws through tight windows. This is not surprising considering he played four years with the Bulldogs and knew that offense like the back of his hand. When in the pocket, Bennett does a good job of quickly working through his progressions and completing a pass to the best option. If none of his options are open, Bennett can quickly escape the pocket and move the chains using his legs. If you want to see this in action, go watch the National Championship game against TCU.

 

Extending Plays

As I just mentioned, Bennett is effective all around the field. On the rare occasion that Bennett was pressured in the pocket, he did a good job of escaping the pressure and keeping the play alive. What makes this very impressive is that he was only sacked 28 times throughout his career in Athens. While escaping the pocket, he makes sure to keep his eyes downfield so he can find one of his targets. If someone does get open, Bennett can deliver an accurate pass while on the move. Additionally, if no one is open, he will not hesitate to take off down the field.

 

Stetson Bennett Weaknesses

 

Age

This is not the biggest weakness surrounding Bennett’s game, but it is definitely something to keep in mind. Bennett is currently 25 years old and will turn 26 during his rookie season. Depending on the contract he signs, he may be almost 30 by the time he is off his rookie deal. This makes me question how long he will be in the league and how small of a window he has to compete for the starting role.

 

Size

Bennett enters the 2023 NFL Draft as one of the smallest QBs in the class. Along with his age, I have concerns surrounding how his size will impact his longevity. Although he took some hits while at Georgia, I’m not sure how many of those he could take in the NFL if he becomes a consistent starter. Meanwhile, if he is primarily a holder and backup, I don’t think his size will hinder his longevity.

Another reason why I am concerned about his size is that there were a few snaps where Bennett threw the ball into a heavily contested area. When you see a QB of his talent makes this mistake, you start to question why. My theory is that he couldn’t fully see the defense’s coverage.

 

Throwing Velocity

The biggest aspect of his game that I am concerned about is his throwing velocity. When watching him throw the ball, it looks like his upper and lower body are not fully in sync with one another. In other words, when he throws the ball he relies heavily on his upper body to do so. When you watch top QB prospects like Stroud or Young, they use their entire body to complete passes. This is primarily why he lacks the arm strength to consistently make plays deep down the field.

 

Stetson Bennett Draft Stock

As of today, NFL Mock Draft Database has Bennett ranked as the 189th-best player in the draft. This is good enough to earn him a 6th-round grade. After watching his film, I would have to agree with this assessment. But I do believe that he has the potential to get drafted in the 5th round because of the upside that he possesses.

 

Final Thoughts on Stetson Bennett Scouting Report

Stetson Bennett was one of the best college football players over the last few seasons. Unfortunately for Bennett, not all of the traits needed to be good in college translate to the NFL. But when you watch his film, it is hard to argue his talent. He is a natural ball thrower who can complete accurate passes all over the field. When in the pocket, he quickly works through his progressions and finds the open man. If none of his options are open, he does a good job of escaping the pocket and making plays. Some of the things that are holding him back from being a top 5 QB in this class are his size, age, and throwing velocity.

 

Stetson Bennett Player Comparison

Nick Mullens

 

Stetson Bennett Scouting Report and Player Profile Analyst – Matthew Lewis