49ers’ 2018 ‘Who Is?’ series: Quarterback Jack Heneghan

Niner Noise’s 2018 “Who Is?” series on San Francisco 49ers players takes a look at a long shot to make the 53-man roster, quarterback Jack Heneghan, and what to expect from the rookie this offseason.

Barring anything drastic, the San Francisco 49ers will roll with two quarterbacks on their 53-man roster this season, Jimmy Garoppolo and C.J. Beathard.

It’s a solid starter-reserve tandem — one the Niners hope will carry them through the regular season and, hopefully, deep into the playoffs in 2018. And because of this, general manager John Lynch and Co. didn’t bother selecting a quarterback in this year’s NFL Draft.

They did, however, grab an undrafted free agent in former Dartmouth signal-caller Jack Heneghan.

Jack Heneghan College Career Passing Stats

Heneghan, a Northern California native, descends from a former Niners executive, Hal Heneghan, who worked in the team’s front office from 2006 through 2011.

A two-year starter at Dartmouth, Heneghan also rushed for 389 yards and four touchdowns during his collegiate career.

San Francisco took a look at him during a local pro day, electing to bring him aboard after the draft was complete.

But is there any chance he cracks the roster? Let’s take a look.

Why Jack Heneghan Improves in 2018

There isn’t a lot of scouting information on Heneghan, who did post some solid numbers over his final two seasons at Dartmouth.

Heneghan’s former high school coach, Mark Newton, cited the quarterback’s smarts, via the San Jose Mercury News:

"He’s an exceptionally smart human being. One of the fun things about coaching is I could give him the entire playbook. Jack is a brilliant guy. Football aside, he’s incredibly intelligent. He can absorb an NFL playbook faster than just about anyone, so that’s going to help him a lot because they put so much on those guys."

Head coach Kyle Shanahan’s playbook is notably complex. So the mental aspects behind Heneghan’s game should do him some good. And at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, Heneghan has the body type ideal for the position.

Why He Regresses

Small-school and Ivy League prospects often face a long road to cracking a 53-man roster. Heneghan already has this working against him, and it isn’t as if he’s without tough competition.

Even on the back end of the 49ers roster.

San Francisco 49ers

The Niners already have No. 3 quarterback Nick Mullens under contract. Mullens, who spent 2017 on the team’s practice squad, already has a leg up on grasping Shanahan’s offense. And he’ll likely receive a good chunk of the third-team reps during training camp and into the preseason.

This means Heneghan’s looks will be few and far between in the time from now until the final week of the preseason.

None of this bodes well for his roster chances.

Chances of Making the 49ers’ 53-Man Roster

Hardly at all. Heneghan’s presence is merely to provide some competition for Mullens and act as a No. 4 option when San Francisco’s preseason games get deep into the fourth quarter.

What you’ll likely see is a drive, or two, in the Niners’ final preseason tuneup. Of course, Heneghan’s chances would increase if any of the QBs ahead of him — Garoppolo, Beathard or Mullens — suffer some kind of injury.

And that, of course, isn’t exactly ideal.

At best, Heneghan is competing for a spot on the practice squad. If San Francisco likes what it sees out of Heneghan more than Mullens, there’s a chance the rookie winds up taking the same kind of trajectory Mullens took a year ago.

Next: 5 quarterbacks with a lot on the line this 2018 season

Even that’s a stretch, meaning Heneghan might simply be pushing for some recognition from around the rest of the league.