Daniel Jeremiah mentions Bennett as possibility for Baltimore

Could Stetson Bennett reunite with former offensive coordinator Todd Monken in Baltimore? Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network seemed to think it’s a possibility during a teleconference with reporters on Thursday.

With the uncertain status of quarterback Lamar Jackson, Jeremiah was asked if the Ravens might trade up to get one of the higher-rated quarterbacks or wait to find lower in the draft.

The draft expert believes it would be the latter, and Bennett was one of the names he thinks Baltimore might consider.

“If you are looking at somebody you can bring into your room, and whether that's Dorian Thompson-Robinson, we've talked about, from UCLA who can run all the stuff that you currently run. Very athletic, with a strong arm. He is a little bit older than a 25-year-old. That would be kind of an intriguing mid-round pick,” Jeremiah said. “Jaren Hall from BYU can do a lot of those things, is athletic, and can move around. Stetson Bennett as well.”

Bennett’s NFL future as it pertains to the draft which gets underway Thursday in Kansas City has been all over the map.

Some, like ESPN’s Mel Kiper predicts the former Bulldog to go as high as the fourth round. Others have him going in the sixth or seventh while others have him not drafted at all.

This was before Bennett’s arrest in Dallas on a misdemeanor charge of public intoxication. While this hasn’t kept teams from meeting with the quarterback, Bennett’s eventual NFL landing spot remains one of the more intriguing questions in the draft, which runs through Saturday.

“I would say that would be my vision for him is somebody that can start games here or there,” Jeremiah said. “He is going to give you a really, really athletic and a good solid backup that if you need to get through three or four games, you wouldn't feel bad about giving him the keys. That's where I would have Stetson Bennett in terms of a comparison.”

The proverbial underdog, Bennett used the chip of people – including his own coaches – telling him he was not good enough to be Georgia’s quarterback. All he did was lead Georgia to back-to-back national championships while posting some of the more impressive passing totals in Bulldog history.

“He's shown the ability to make a lot of different throws. He is just to me streaky as a thrower. He has some bad misses where you'll see worm burners on low flat routes and swing routes. Like, what was that? Then you'll see him squeeze the ball in tight windows later on in that same game. He is just a little bit streaky, a little inconsistent there,” Jeremiah said. “But I was talking with a GM, gosh, had to be over a month ago, and he just said if Bryce Young can be the first overall pick at his size, then why is Stetson Bennett talked about as a sixth or seventh round pick at his size? I said, well, he is a better player. He says, no, I get that, but is the gap six rounds wide, you know? Or could you take him in the third, or fourth round? I don't know. I think most teams have him on Day 3, but he will be an interesting test case, no doubt.”

Former coach Kirby Smart has no doubt there’s a place for Bennett in the NFL.

There are several reasons why.

“Well, his decision-making has been really good. He has shown improvement in those. But I don't think you pick one area and say he can improve in this area. He can improve in everything,” Smart said during Georgia’s Pro Day. What he has done is played at the highest level of college football for a lot of games and he has played really well—that says a lot. That speaks volumes for itself."

Bennett knows the challenges that await.

“It’s better football, you’ve got to play clean. It’s going to be a new playbook, so that will be the biggest thing right off the bat,” Bennett said at Pro Day. “After that, it’s just the physical nature of the game. It’s a man’s league, being able to avoid tackles, throw on time, and have accuracy.”

Jeremiah believes Bennett will find a home in the NFL.

Although he may not be the prototypical quarterback in terms of size, Jeremiah compares Bennett to former Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, currently with the Arizona Cardinals.

“With Stetson it's interesting. To me, he is a different body type, but if you are looking at maybe a little skinnier, faster version of Colt McCoy would be a comparison for me. Colt won in college. Colt could run. He could move,” Jeremiah said. “He just found a way to make winning plays even though he didn't necessarily fit all the specs you were looking for … coming from a true blue-blood program as well.”

Running back Kenny McIntosh: “When you are looking at the running back position, it's interesting. I wish Kenny would have run faster. He ran in the 4.6s. He is a similar type of player to Tony Pollard coming out. He just doesn't have the juice that Tony Pollard had,” Jeremiah said. “He is one of the best pass-catching backs. I think he is going to be a day-three guy. I think in this group where we have so many backs it's a pretty deep and talented group. I would say I would put that mark probably around the fifth round is about the range of where he hears his name called.’

Tight Darnell Washington: “Darnell Washington is massive from Georgia. He is like playing with a sixth offensive lineman in the run game, and he is still developing and learning in the passing game. I think there's more there. Obviously, they had the best tight end in the country there with Bowers, who is just an absolute freak show. So, he doesn't get as many balls as he would on other offenses, but he is really intriguing.”

Defensive tackle Jalen Carter: “I think Jalen Carter is the best player in the draft from Georgia. In terms of Carter as a player, it's overused, I guess, but I don't know how else to describe him. He is just a freak show when you are watching him. It just looks like he works at a different speed than everybody else on the field,” Jeremiah said. “The change of direction, you know, he can kind of teleport from one gap to the next and you are, like, I don't know how he got there, but you've got no chance. The offensive line coach at Georgia is a good buddy of mine, Stacy Searels, and when I asked him about Jalen Carter, he said, when he comes to practice and doesn't want to get blocked, he is not getting blocked. I mean, he is a unique player.”

Offensive tackle Broderick Jones: “When you look at Broderick Jones, I think his best football is still ahead of him. He is incredibly strong. He is incredibly athletic. What he can do in the second-level stuff and the run game as well as in the screen game is outstanding. He sets a little bit of a unique set where he sets a little bit flat so there are times where guys can get upfield on him, but then he shows you the ability to recover and hang in there,” said Jeremiah, who has Jones going with the 13th pick in the first round to the New York Jets: “So, you know, maybe a little top-heavy at times. He gets a little over aggressive. He is a pretty physical player, but I think there's a lot to really like about him. I think he could play either side. I think he could play right tackle. He could play left tackle. That would be -- that's why I had him going there. I think it would be a really good fit.”

Safety Christopher Smith: “It will be big for him, no pun intended, to see if he can add some weight. He was 188 pounds at the All-Star Game. He is a little undersized there. You want your safeties to be a little bigger than that. He is a playmaker. He plays fast. He has range from the middle of the field,” Jeremiah said. “He has no wasted movement and plays with confidence. Quick to read and drive. He sits there flat-footed and then drives on the ball/ He is a really, really instinctive player who plays fast. I guess the expectation is he is not going to maybe run as fast as you think, but I would be more curious to see if he can add a little bit on the frame.”

Outside linebacker Nolan Smith: “He reminds me of Haason Reddick coming out. I pulled their numbers too. We'll have that at the combine. There are some similarities there in terms of how big they are and how they move around. We'll see what that looks like there. He is just -- I just wrote down, he is just juicy. He has big-time juice and burst coming off the edge,” Jeremiah said. “He can change directions. He has a good feel at the top of his rush. He can bend and close. He will grab the wrist. He has a really good job of controlling the wrist of opponents. In one of the plays with him, you are watching Auburn. It's special teams. They run a fake punt. He sniffs it out and makes a play. Just showed you the overall football player that he is. Just a really good player.”

Cornerback Kelee Ringo: “Kelee is going to be -- I don't want to say polarizing. I just think he is going to fit certain teams. He is not going to necessarily fit others. I think there's a real chance he goes in the first round, especially when he puts on a show when he runs. Track background. He is going to be 6-2, 200 pounds. He is going to fly. I think I'm curious to see him in some of the change-of-direction stuff. He is a little rigid. He is a little bit tight,” Jeremiah said. “I think if you are a cover-3 team, you are going to love him. He is going to fit beautifully with that, and he is physical and tough. He can find and play the ball. He just has to be in phase to be able to find and play it. Sometimes he is a little too much separation because he is a little sticky and a little bit tight. I like him as a player.

"You watch him as a gunner. You watch him on kickoff. That tells you a lot about a guy of that stature, that type of recruit, that type of reputation as a defensive player to not only be on teams but to be playing with maximum effort and be a good player on special teams. I think it tells you a lot about him and his makeup. I think there's a real chance he goes in the first round. He won't get out of the early part of the second round if that were to be the case if he doesn't go round one.”