QB Stetson Bennett's stock could take hit following arrest

Stetson Bennett did almost everything right in leading Georgia to back-to-back national championships. He's starting off on the wrong foot as he attempts to make it to the NFL.

Bennett was arrested for public intoxication over the weekend in Dallas. As Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News wrote, he isn't the first NFL QB prospect to find himself in legal trouble involving alcohol. 

Baker Mayfield and Mac Jones were arrested on alcohol-related charges but were first-round picks. The incidents involving Mayfield and Jones, Watkins noted, occurred while both were in college. 

Bennett, 25, is one year older than Eagles starting QB Jalen Hurts but several years behind in decision-making.

Bennett's arrest is troubling enough, but the context of when it occurred might make it even more damning in the eyes of NFL front offices.

While several other college seniors are gearing up for the East-West Shrine Bowl or Reese's Senior Bowl to improve their draft stock, Bennett is in the headlines for the wrong reasons.

Per 11Alive, Bennett declined an invitation for the Senior Bowl to work out privately in Dallas.

A former scout for the Dallas Cowboys, Glenn Smith, said the incident over the weekend will give teams even more reason to stay away from Bennett during this April's draft.

"He's a five-foot, 10-inch guy so you're gonna have NFL scouts start knocking him," he said. (h/t 11Alive) 

According to draft analysts, there should be enough teams interested in Bennett that he shouldn't fall too many rounds.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. suggested last week that Bennett should be a third-round pick. 

Per 11Alive, Atlanta Journal-Constitution sports reporter Gabriel Burns said Bennett is "a day-three guy" and that the arrest "was a hit" to his stock.

As Smith noted, he'll likely still be drafted because of what he did at Georgia. "Someone will take a shot on this young man," Smith said. 

That shot will come despite Bennett's undersized frame, his perfect situation at Georgia, his legal troubles or that he's ranked as the 10th-best QB in ESPN's list of best available prospects.