Stetson Bennett gets drafted to the NFC South in the seventh round of latest ESPN mock draft

Stetson Bennett is likely going to have to wait until the third day of the NFL Draft to hear his name called, but according to a recent mock draft by ESPN's Jordan Reid, the wait could be well worth it.

He has the Saints drafting Bennett in the seventh round (227th overall). 

Despite a phenomenal college career, Bennett's designation as a likely seventh-round pick isn't polarizing. A former walk-on at Georgia, Bennett has never been highly valued by scouts. He proved those who overlooked him out of high school wrong after getting an opportunity with the Bulldogs, winning the past two national championships as the team's starting QB.

New Orleans already added Derek Carr at QB this offseason and restructured 2022 Week 1 starter Jameis Winston's contract to retain him as Carr's backup. It still makes sense for New Orleans to add a QB in the draft after being forced to start five players at the position the past two seasons.

NFL scout Drae Harris examined Bennett's game for Yardbarker and praised his "quick decision-making and mental processing."

Among the knocks against Bennett is his age — he turns 26 in October — with the quarterback having to battle against the perception he's already played his best football. In his scouting report, Harris wrote, "Teams will wonder if Bennett has peaked."

Harris also points to Bennett's size as a potential area of concern; he's 5-foot-11 and weighs 190 pounds. Of course, the Saints have some experience with a smaller QB with the best seasons in franchise history coming with 6-foot QB Drew Brees.

New Orleans might be the best possible destination for Bennett as he attempts to prove in the NFL that his run at Georgia wasn't a fluke. He'll just have to wait a bit of time to get an opportunity if the Saints select him. If Reid's prediction is true, Bennett will get plenty of practice waiting during the draft.