Stetson Bennett will get a chance to deliver for the Los Angeles Rams.
Georgia’s two-time national championship-winning quarterback was selected by the Rams in the fourth round of the NFL draft on Saturday, uniting him with coach Sean McVay and fellow former Bulldogs signal-caller Matthew Stafford on the West Coast.
The 25-year-old Bennett’s unlikely route from junior college to the pinnacle of collegiate success has been well documented, but the NFL worthiness of the quirky quarterback known as “The Mailman” has been hotly debated for years. The Rams clearly believe in the 5-foot-11 passer with a proven knack for winning and making big throws in big games, even if his measurable talents don’t match other prospects.
“I love competing against the best, and it helps when you’ve got the best on your team,” Bennett said. “I think we do, not that I know that much. But obviously, if you’ve won a Super Bowl in the past few years, you know what you’re doing. I’m excited to learn. It’s an honor that those coaches and GM thought enough of me to pick me, and now it’s my job to go and get better every day.”
Bennett is the first quarterback drafted by the Rams since McVay became their head coach in 2017. He will join Stafford, the Super Bowl winner who is under contract for the next four seasons.
Bennett met Stafford for the first time at the College Football Playoff championship game at SoFi Stadium last January, but he grew up watching Stafford, Knowshon Moreno and their fellow Bulldogs. Bennett remained a fan of Stafford after he landed with the Detroit Lions.
“Everybody is watching Calvin Johnson highlights on YouTube, and he was the one throwing to him,” Bennett said. “He’s obviously extremely smart. He’s one of the most talented quarterbacks that’s ever played the game, and he’s tough as nails. I’m excited to just go in there, be quiet, take notes and learn.”
Picking Bennett in the fourth round was a reach in many draft prognostications, but the Rams clearly didn’t want to lose out: Three more quarterbacks were drafted in the 12 picks after they grabbed Bennett.
Los Angeles hadn’t drafted a quarterback since trading up to get Jared Goff with the No. 1 overall pick in 2016.
The Rams’ two backup quarterbacks last season – John Wolford and Bryce Perkins – both struggled behind a poor offensive line after Stafford was injured. Los Angeles turned in desperation to waiver-wire pickup Baker Mayfield, who beat the Raiders two days after joining the team and eventually started the final five games.
Bennett is headed back to SoFi, where he won his second national championship by leading the Bulldogs’ 65-7 victory over TCU in January. He had a typically crisp, productive game in his collegiate finale in Inglewood, passing for 304 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions while rushing for 39 yards and two more scores.
Bennett also will be a teammate of Horned Frogs guard Steve Avila, the Rams’ second-round selection.
The Rams wound up with 11 selections Saturday. In other Day 3 picks:
Fifth round
The Rams used the first of four fifth-round picks on Appalachian State outside linebacker Nick Hampton. The two-time All-Sun Belt Conference honoree is a bit undersized for the edge at 6-foot-2 and 236 pounds, but his high-motor play led to 9.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks and three forced fumbles last season.
The Rams later wound up with back-to-back picks. The first went to Georgia tackle Warren McClendon Jr., a three-year starter at right tackle for the two-time national champions. The 6-4, 306-pound All-SEC first-teamer started all 14 games last season. The second pick was 6-6, 245-pound Clemson tight end Davis Allen. The All-ACC third-teamer and team captain recorded 39 receptions for 443 yards and 5 touchdowns last season.
Two picks later, the Rams selected BYU wide receiver Puka Nacua, who was the only FBS player to run for 5 touchdowns and catch 5 touchdowns last season. The 6-2, 201-pounder, who transferred to BYU from Washington after the 2020 season, led the Cougars in receptions in each of his two years, finishing with 91 catches for 1,430 yards.
Sixth round
The Rams began the round by taking TCU cornerback Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson. Despite being undersized at 5-8 and 178 pounds, the nephew of former Chargers great LaDainian Tomlinson had a tremendous 2022 season, winning the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back and being named a first-team Associated Press All-American with a team-high three interceptions, 15 pass breakups and 50 tackles.
Seven picks later, they took 6-5, 250-pound edge rusher Ochaun Mathis, a four-year starter at TCU and then Nebraska. They also traded up for the 38th pick in the round to draft another former TCU player. Ole Miss running back Zach Evans ran for 936 rushing yards on 144 carries for 6.5 yards per carry, which led the SEC and ranked No. 10 in the country.
Seventh round
With the sixth pick of the round, the Rams selected Wingate punter Ethan Evans. The NCAA Division II All-American averaged 45.7 yards per punt last season and had 30 punts of 50 yards or more.
Eleven picks later, the choice was Oklahoma State safety Jason Taylor II, an All-Big 12 honoree who had a team-high with 99 tackles and was fourth in the FBS with 80 solo tackles.
The Rams ended the day with the final choice, giving 259th overall pick Toledo defensive end Desjuan Johnson the unofficial term of Mr. Irrelevant. The three-time All-MAC selection is 6-2 and 285 pounds with deceptive quickness, which helped him tally 16.5 tackles for loss last season.
2023 Rams draft
2 (5) – OG Steve Avila, TCU
3 (14) – DE Byron Young, Tennessee
3 (26) – DT Kobie Turner, Wake Forest
4 (26) – QB Stetson Bennett, Georgia
5 (27) – OLB Nick Hampton, Appalachian State
5 (40) – OT Warren McClendon Jr., Georgia
5 (41) – TE Davis Allen, Clemson
5 (43) – WR Puka Nacua, BYU
6 (5) – CB Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson
6 (12) – DE Ochaun Mathis, Nebraska
6 (38) – RB Zach Evans, Ole Miss
7 (6) – P Ethan Evans, Wingate
7 (17) – S Jason Taylor II, Oklahoma State
7 (42) – DE Desjuan Johnson, Toledo
SCNG staff contributed to this story.
