Can Stetson Bennett be an NFL quarterback? | College Football Enquirer

Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wetzel, and Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde and Ross Dellenger discuss Georgia QB Stetson Bennett’s viability as an NFL quarterback.

Video Transcript

DAN WETZEL: He clearly knows how to read a defense. He's a very good athlete. He just doesn't look like an NFL quarterback. Stetson Bennett, can he play in the NFL?

PAT FORDE: Yeah.

DAN WETZEL: So every single thing when I watch is absolutely not. He just doesn't look like an NFL quarterback out there. But that's-- if he's 6' 3", he's the number one pick in the draft.

PAT FORDE: Yep.

DAN WETZEL: I mean, he's absolutely-- he did everything. He's fantastic, but he's not 6' 3". He's 5' 11" by list, and we're going to find out--

PAT FORDE: He's not 5' 11".

DAN WETZEL: --at that--

PAT FORDE: He's not.

DAN WETZEL: --at the combine, no lie.

PAT FORDE: Right.

DAN WETZEL: So they're going to really measure him, and who knows. Is it 5' 10"? Is it 5' 9" and 7/8, or something like that? We'll see. It's been a while. Doug Flutie was a good, decent player. Drew Brees was 6 foot-- not tall.

PAT FORDE: Maybe

DAN WETZEL: Maybe.

PAT FORDE: Russell Wilson.

DAN WETZEL: Bryce Young is not tall.

PAT FORDE: No.

DAN WETZEL: So I don't know. I mean, there's a lot there. He clearly knows how to read a defense. He's accurate. He's a very good athlete. The best info I had was ESPN had a stat that the only three quarterbacks in the last 20 years, since 2006 actually, under 6 feet-- college quarterback's under 6 feet had been drafted, all four of the guys turned to be-- moved to become wide receivers.

Right? I don't think Stetson Bennet wants to be a wide receiver. I'm not sure he's about that life. But who knows? I mean, but he's fast.

I don't know, but could he be a quarterback? So my thing is, no one's sitting there saying he's going to be like Josh Allen, franchise quarterback, or something like that. But like Chase Daniel is like 6 foot, maybe.

PAT FORDE: And he's not-- no.

DAN WETZEL: Right.

PAT FORDE: Chase Daniel's 5' 10".

DAN WETZEL: And he's been in the league 14 freaking years. Yep

ROSS DELLINGER: It can be done.

DAN WETZEL: Could he be that?

PAT FORDE: Yeah, well--

DAN WETZEL: He looks like when eventually they're going to hit you, and they're going to hit you in a way you never been hit, and can he take that?

PAT FORDE: And that's the-- he's not only 5' 10"-ish, but he's also-- he's like 190s, not thick.

DAN WETZEL: He's listed at 190. so I don't know. But--

ROSS DELLINGER: If you can stay healthy--

DAN WETZEL: I do think he could get drafted.

ROSS DELLINGER: --and be accurate.

PAT FORDE: Yeah, I talked to a couple NFL scouts a week or two ago about-- for a story, my 93rd Stetson Bennett story, and they were sure he was going to be drafted. Probably later rounds, five, six, seven, whatever. And they thought he had a chance to stick, but they didn't ever see him as a starter. That they-- he's one of those guys whose brain and his athleticism can keep him in the league, but can it make him a starting quarterback?

They were not sure about that. One guy did raise an interesting point that, basically, that they weren't sure he was that clipboard, you know, like, film junkie guy that would be happy, like, to be Chase Daniel, and be just-- be on-- a backup for 10 years, that he might get bored and say, forget it. I'll go open Stetson Bennett Chevrolet.

ROSS DELLINGER: Ford.

DAN WETZEL: Chase Daniels made like 35 million.

PAT FORDE: I know

DAN WETZEL: It's a good way to be bored.

PAT FORDE: Oh, it's a great way to be bored.

DAN WETZEL: Bore me.

PAT FORDE: I'd take it. I would take it. Absolutely.

ROSS DELLINGER: Bore me. Yeah, I'll be bored for 35, 45 million.

DAN WETZEL: Why does everyone think he's going to be a car dealer?

PAT FORDE: Because he'll sell a gazillion cars.

ROSS DELLINGER: Bennet Ford.

DAN WETZEL: He's talked about becoming a lawyer.

ROSS DELLINGER: Bennett, Bowers, and McConkey.

DAN WETZEL: He's going to be in the media.

PAT FORDE: Well, that-- he's a phenomenal talker. I will say, like, I will pour out some of my Sierra Nevada for losing him as a quote. Because that dude can fill it up. And now, we no longer have that--

ROSS DELLINGER: Maybe a good analyst. Maybe--

PAT FORDE: Yeah, exactly. So like get him on TB.

ROSS DELLINGER: The next McElroy.

PAT FORDE: Yeah, absolutely. He's got that kind of-- he's got a little smart ass humor, and self-deprecating humor. But he will call a spade a spade, and he's a talker.

ROSS DELLINGER: I don't know. Back up. Maybe he'll make $35 million and be a backup. I mean--

PAT FORDE: Again, that's winning.

ROSS DELLINGER: I don't know. I mean, Pat's numbers are striking from in the biggest spots, he's played his best. And scouts see that. And his accuracy is incredible. I mean, tonight, like two plays stuck out to me tonight. There was a play we already discussed where he recognized the blitz off the edge that wasn't picked up, and he spun away from it and then ran about 12 yards, dove for the first down. It was great.

And then there was one where he was on the move right. And I think I remember live, Pat, you saying nobody's open. It was a third and like 8 or something. Like nobody's open. And he whistled one in into triple coverage perfectly.

PAT FORDE: Yeah. Yeah, Bowers, I think. Yeah.

ROSS DELLINGER: Yeah, it's incredible.