LOS ANGELES (AP) — 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.
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