Denver Broncos: What does Jeff Driskel bring to the table?

What can Jeff Driskel bring to the Denver Broncos in 2020?

The Denver Broncos obviously hope Drew Lock starts and plays in every game in 2020, but as we all found out the hard way in 2019, it’s never a bad idea to have a good contingency plan in place.

The Broncos clearly didn’t like the idea of moving forward with either Joe Flacco or Brandon Allen as the top backup to Lock in 2020, so they went out and signed fifth-year player Jeff Driskel, a former sixth-round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers.

Driskel’s collegiate career started at Florida and then he transferred to Louisiana Tech before getting drafted.

The 49ers waived Driskel after his rookie training camp and he was promptly picked up by the Cincinnati Bengals, where he spent the 2016-18 seasons and 2019 offseason.

Driskel started five games for the Bengals in 2018 and one of his first couple of starts was actually against the Denver Broncos.

After getting cut following 2019 training camp, the Detroit Lions signed Driskel and injuries forced him into three starts.

Driskel may not be setting the league ablaze anytime soon, but he has tremendous value as a backup quarterback and spot starter, and it would be interesting to see what he could do if he was given the shot to contribute to a team that was actually competitive.

Broncos are getting a tremendous athlete in Driskel

One of the best assets Driskel brings to the table is his well-rounded athletic ability.

In addition to throwing for just under 1,700 yards in his 12 NFL games (8 starts), Driskel has rushed for 281 yards and three touchdowns.

He’s definitely a threat when he gets outside of the pocket to take off and run.

Driskel has a really live arm and velocity to all levels of the field.

Given the fact that almost all of Driskel’s reps in the past couple of seasons where he’s gotten opportunities to play have been under duress, that’s definitely a strength of his as well — he can throw under pressure.

Although a backup quarterback getting a two-year contract was not the most glamorous free agency pickup the Broncos made in 2020, Driskel brings value to the table that other backups simply don’t.

He’s athletic, he’s got a strong arm, and he’s got starting experience. All of those things come along with the fact that Driskel is still also just 27, so he’s not ancient by any means.

Aside from drafting another quarterback to develop, Driskel is the ideal backup-type with his age, short, team-friendly contract, and athletic makeup.