Bengals QB Ryan Finley continues to impress in 2019 preseason
By Bryan Perez
Bengals fourth-round pick Ryan Finley is off to a hot start in the 2019 NFL preseason.
The Cincinnati Bengals are on the shortlist of teams expected to be in the market for a quarterback in the 2020 NFL draft. Incumbent starter Andy Dalton has underwhelmed the last few seasons and with a new coaching staff in place in 2019, the future of the position is up for grabs.
The 2020 draft will be headlined by two elite prospects: Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama) and Justin Herbert (Oregon). The Bengals’ roster isn’t overflowing with talent and they’re considered serious contenders for the No. 1 overall pick. Whichever team ends up a the top of the draft will more than likely be connected to either Tagovailoa or Herbert.
But what if Cincinnati already has their future quarterback in place?
Former North Carolina star Ryan Finley was selected by the Bengals in the fourth round last April, and while the pick wasn’t met with much fanfare, his preseason performance has created optimism around the league that he may, in fact, develop into a legitimate NFL starter.
Finley was phenomenal in Week 2’s preseason game against the Redskins. He completed 20-of-26 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns. He’s not a flashy player and he doesn’t have the kind of arm talent that will wow onlookers, but there are plenty of examples of highly successful quarterbacks who’ve found success because of their decision-making and accuracy. Finley is trending toward that profile.
This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, either. Finley completed over 67% of his passes for the Wolfpack in 2018 en route to 3,928 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Still, his scouting report read like a future backup.
And maybe he will be. Maybe his summer is nothing more than a guy succeeding against backups. When the games count and starters play every down at full-go, the passing windows will shrink while the pocket becomes more chaotic.
For now, there’s hope in Cincinnati that they got it right. And if the team enjoys more success in 2019 than the experts are predicting, Finley, by default, may end up the answer under center.