Is Ryan Finley Cincinnati’s Quarterback of the Future?
Did the Bengals draft Ryan Finley to be the team’s future starting quarterback or as depth?
Prior to the 2019 NFL Draft, there was plenty of speculation that the Bengals could use their 11th overall pick on a quarterback.
Despite the fact that both Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins and Missouri’s Drew Lock were still on the board, Cincinnati went with offensive lineman Jonah Williams from Alabama. This was good news for Andy Dalton’s immediate future as the starting quarterback.
However, when the fourth round came around and North Carolina State’s Ryan Finley was still available, The team traded up six spots to land the former Wolfpack signal caller. The hope is obviously that he will eventually replace Andy Dalton who is getting near the end of his contract and has yet to begin extension talks.
Finley began his college career at Boise State. He only appeared in seven total games before transferring to NC State with three years of eligibility remaining.
With the Wolfpack, Finley started all 39 games the team played in his time there. He threw for at least 3,000 yards in all three of his seasons. In 2018, he racked up a career-high 3,928 yards, 25 touchdowns, and posted a solid 67.4 completion percentage.
Already 24 years-old, Finley enters the NFL with more experience than many rookie quarterbacks. Can he really be Dalton’s eventual replacement? It’s possible. Still, even with Finley now in the picture, this Bengals draft class proves that the organization still has plenty of faith in Dalton.
The team drafted a standout offensive lineman in the first round, tight end Drew Sample in the second, another offensive lineman in Michael Jordan in the fourth, and two running backs, Trayveon Williams and Rodney Anderson in the sixth round. Thus, it appears the team is looking to build around Dalton for 2019, and potentially beyond. Still, adding a fresh face to the quarterback room will at least have him glancing over his shoulder.
However, Finley is the guy that new head coach and quarterback guru Zac Taylor hand selected. He was also the only quarterback the Bengals brought to town to visit and meet with the coaching staff prior to the draft.
Also, Finley is very similar to the quarterback Taylor helped take to the Super Bowl last season, Jared Goff. They are separated in height by one inch and both have decent mobility, but rely more on there arm and post high passing grades.
Thus, Taylor sees something in Finley that he may just develop into his future quarterback, but as of now, it is more likely this selection was more of a depth selection should Dalton suffer another injury.
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