Stetson Bennett has defied expectations throughout his football journey by persistently achieving what others thought he couldn’t. However, the naysayers are already claiming that he won’t succeed in the NFL. Bennett’s story is familiar to many, having been told repeatedly during his college football career that he was inadequate. Despite leading the Georgia Bulldogs as quarterback, winning the SEC, and claiming a National Championship, Bennett’s abilities were still questioned. The endless repetition of “not good enough,” “not talented enough,” and “not big enough” has become a familiar tune to him.
Stetson Bennett Is Proving The Critics wrong!
Having already secured two national championships and displaying impressive stats at UGA, the quarterback was eager to perform well at the combine despite not participating in the Senior Bowl. Fortunately, he delivered a stellar performance. Standing at 5-foot-11 and weighing 192 pounds, Bennett impressively launched some stunning deep balls during passing drills. Additionally, he showcased his athletic prowess with a remarkable 33.5-inch vertical jump, a 9-foot-10 broad jump, and a swift 4.67 40-yard dash.
According to ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Bennett’s performance was good enough to send him shooting up the draft boards:
“I thought Bennett had an outstanding workout Saturday, both in the passing drills and in the athletic testing,” Kiper wrote. “Since he didn’t play in an all-star game after his season ended, this was the first time NFL teams have gotten to see him up close. He threw the ball very well. He ran a better-than-expected 4.67 40-yard dash.”
Kirby Smart always highlighted Bennett’s skill in running the ball as his distinguishing factor, which has been a constant throughout his career. Although Bennett started as a walk-on at Georgia in 2017 and spent his freshman year on the bench, he later transferred to Jones Community College before returning to Georgia in 2019. Since then, Bennett has secured two national championships and established himself as the most accomplished player in Georgia football history.
Despite starting in only five games in 2020, Bennett was not yet considered the go-to quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs. However, in 2021, fate smiled upon him as J.T. Daniels suffered an injury, paving the way for Bennett to secure the starting position early in the season. With his leadership, the Bulldogs went on to achieve their ultimate goal, winning the national championship against Alabama in the 2021 season, which marked Georgia’s first title in 41 years since their 1980 triumph.
The Next Jalen Hurts?
Stetson is not alone in facing criticism. Nearly all athletes will experience negativity at some point in their careers. The key is to take that criticism and use it as motivation to move forward towards success. A prime example of this is Jalen Hurts, quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, who has faced similar comparisons to Stetson. Despite being benched during two National Championship seasons and criticized for his size and reliance on his feet, Hurts persevered and is now one of the best quarterbacks in the league. If he had crumbled under the pressure, he would not have made it to Philly. Stetson has likely faced similar criticism, but can follow in Hurts’ footsteps and prove his worth in the NFL. While some may find Stetson’s confidence polarizing, it is an essential trait for high-level athletes. It is what drives them to the top of their game.
Off The-Field Issues
Bennett’s off-season antics didn’t do him any favors. First, Bennett found himself in hot water after the police responded to a disturbance in the Old East Dallas area. A report had come in about a man making a commotion by banging on several doors. Upon arriving at the scene at 3 a.m., the officers found Bennett, who was clearly intoxicated. According to the arrest report, Bennett attempted to evade the police by hiding behind a brick wall. However, he eventually emerged and was placed in handcuffs. Bennett claimed to have a friend in the area but could not provide his address or contact him on the phone. As a result, the police took Bennett to a sobering center, where he spent the night smelling strongly of alcohol.he was criticized for being on his phone during a large portion of Georgia’s victory parade. Then, he gave a strange speech about the media predicting the Bulldogs’ failure, despite being the defending champions and ranked No. 3 in the country with a historically stacked roster.To add to his troubles, Although he won back-to-back national championships as Georgia’s starting quarterback and set a program-record for passing yards in his senior season, there are doubts about his NFL potential. His size, age, and the abundance of talent around him at Georgia have all been called into question. His off-the-field conduct as well as Skipping the Senior Bowl only adds to the uncertainty.
The Raiders Need A Quarterback
This year’s draft boasts four highly touted quarterbacks who are expected to be selected early on – Bryce Young from Alabama, CJ Stroud from Ohio State, Anthony Richardson from Florida, and Will Levis from Kentucky. The Raiders were positioned at the seventh spot and were optimistic about snagging one of these talented players, especially one of the top three. However, their plans were thwarted by the Panthers’ trade that propelled them to the coveted number-one pick.
The Raiders may find themselves in a situation where they have to make a trade to secure a top quarterback in this year’s draft, possibly even moving up to the third overall pick. Or going the free agency route although Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t an appealing quarterback option at $30-plus million per year because of his injury history (missed 18 games since 2020), but he has New England Patriots ties with three years around Josh McDaniels’ offensive system.Case in point the raider will need to draft a Qb in this year’s draft at some point .
Perfect Match For The Raiders?
Stetson Bennett might make sense for the raiders in the later rounds despite the off-the-field concerns and Bennett not being the prototypical NFL Quarterbacks size. a lot of the myths about his physical limitations at the NFL combine were put to rest. He should be an intriguing prospect for the raiders brass in the 2023 NFL draft .Josh McDaniel’s scheme puts a premium on accuracy and intellect at the Quarterback position. Bennett would fit that mold. Bennett could be the low-risk high reward draft selection late in this year’s draft.The question is he more Johnny Manziel than Drew Brees?
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