Jeff Driskel

After sitting for his first two seasons as a pro, Driskel went 1-7 in eight combined starts in 2018 and 2019 for the Bengals and Lions. His passing stats were ho-hum and he's shown more dynamism as a runner than a passer. He fits the Broncos as a non-threatening veteran backup with some of the same traits as sophomore starter Drew Lock. If Lock misses extended time, however, the Broncos are likely sunk.

When Driskel replaced an injured Andy Dalton in Week 12 against the Browns, he threw for 155 yards and a touchdown and ran for another, lending some cause for hope that he'd be an adequate replacement while Dalton was out. But it turned out that "adequate" was Driskel's ceiling. While Driskel protected the ball, throwing just two interceptions in 176 attempts, he averaged 5.7 yards per attempt and led the Bengals to a 1-4 record. It can be argued that he didn't have a full offense to work with, as A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd missed significant chunks of time while he was at the helm. Driskel will try to hold off rookie Ryan Finley, drafted in the fourth round, as Dalton's backup.

Driskel missed all of last season with a broken thumb suffered in the preseason. His bad luck continued in December when he suffered a broken arm in practice. He has recovered from both injuries now and is listed as the Bengals' third quarterback, behind Andy Dalton and Matt Barkley. He has yet to take a regular season NFL snap despite being in the league for three years.

Driskel was a system pick for Chip Kelly and the read-option offense he brings to San Francisco. After underperformance and an eventual leg injury forced him out of Florida, Driskel went on to have a strong final college season at Louisiana Tech (4,033 passing yards and 28 touchdowns). He has the arm strength and quickness to thrive in a read-option attack, but his lack of accuracy makes him a project and a likely candidate to land on the 49ers’ practice squad to start the season.