30 April 2023 , 17:12
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The Los Angeles Rams surprisingly selected Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett in the fourth round of the NFL Draft - much earlier than had been expected.
The Rams already have their franchise quarterback in Matthew Stafford, who also played for Georgia, having been the first overall draft pick himself back in 2009. It was a peculiar selection, with the Rams not having a pick in the draft until the second round, while having a number of holes in their roster to fill as they need to rebuild their team.
The team has already moved on a number of their star players, including Jalen Ramsey, Bobby Wagner and Allen Robinson, with the team struggling financially being way over the salary cap.
While it was not too much of a shock to see the Rams take a quarterback, not many had predicted Bennett to be selected as early as he did - with some even projecting him to be undrafted. While the long-time Georgia starter has an impressive resume, winning the last two National Championships, and is expected to be a solid option in the NFL.
However, question marks over his life away from the gridiron had led some to suggest he may slip down the Draft order. Bennett had been at Georgia since 2017, but did transfer away for a year to a community college before returning in 2019 - where he became the starter the following season.
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While being a solid quarterback, Bennett has been criticised for his streakiness throwing the football, while also being undersized for the position. Bennett is also much older than other prospects, already being 25 years old - the same age as Sam Darnold, who is now in his sixth season in the NFL.
Stetson Bennett was selected in the fourth round to the RamsHe is also described as being a fiery individual, getting on the wrong end of some, which a few analysts brought up as a reason he could go undrafted.
However, the Rams decided to take him in the fourth round - a surprising selection with a number of quarterbacks still available - including UCLA's Dorian Thompson-Robinson - who was the strong favourite to be the sixth quarterback taken after Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Anthony Richardson, Will Levis and Hendon Hooker.
With Stafford struggling with injuries in recent years, Bennett could have landed in an ideal situation, while also being coached by one of the best offensive minds in Sean McVay.