All Eyes on Me

After the 2019 NFL Draft, there were many subjects to talk about. Josh Rosen being abandoned a year after being drafted, Daniel Jones being drafted 6th overall, and the many teams with multiple first-round picks. One move that went under the radar at the time was the Broncos drafting Drew Lock, a quarterback out of Missouri. Many knew that John Elway, the Broncos GM, was smitten with Lock and many projected Denver to take him in the first round. While Lock wasn’t taken in the first, the Broncos would trade up for Lock in the second round. The Broncos, who are now looking like playoff contenders, must rely on the second-year quarterback to take a step forward and lead this team to their first playoff appearance since 2015. Can Lock step up to the pressure, with everyone’s eyes on him?

(Thanks to D4L for the thumbnail!)

#Centaurs

Lock’s Career so Far

Drew Lock was born on November 10th, 1990. He went to high school at Lee’s Sumer High School in Missouri. After a solid high school career, Lock was a 4-star recruit. He would commit to Missouri and would come off the bench in the season opener versus Southern Missouri. He performed well and would start the last 8 games of the season for Missouri.

Lock would break out his sophomore season in which he put up 3,399 ing yards, 23 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. His junior season would be even better as he put up 3,964 ing yards, 44 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He did regress in 2018, but his play was still good. He would declare for the 2019 NFL Draft and was widely regarded as a first-round talent.

Lock was a very strong prospect in what was considered a very weak quarterback class. He had a strong arm, had good accuracy, good timing, had some mobility, and had lots of upsides. However, he did need to improve his footwork, learn to make better decisions with the football, threw into coverage that he shouldn’t throw into, and trusted his arm a bit too much.

On draft night, the Broncos decided to trade up in the 2nd round to select the Missouri quarterback. Many believed they would select him with the 10th pick, but they would draft Noah Fant in the first instead.

Lock battled Joe Flacco for the starting quarterback, but an injury to his thumb in the preseason meant Flacco would win the job. Lock would come off of IR in week 13, and have his debut versus the Los Angeles Chargers. Lock played decently, throwing for 134 yards, 2 touchdowns, and an interception. His breakout game would come a week later, against the Texans in Houston. Lock went off, throwing for 309 yards, 3 touchdowns, and an interception. Lock would help the Broncos to a 4-1 finish, and looked pretty good in those 5 games. The Broncos went into the offseason with one goal; to build around Lock.

The Team Around Lock

This Broncos team is stacked top to bottom with talent and potential. The defense is a top ten unit, led by a deadly -rushing duo of Von Miller and Bradley Chubb. The secondary is led by Justin Simmons, Kareem Jackson, and A.J. Bouye which makes it a very secondary to go up against. The linebacking core is pretty good too, with Alexander Johnson and Joseph Jewell leading the unit. But, what about the offense?

The best part of the offense is our running back trio, led by Melvin Gordon with Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman both solid backups as well. The wide receiver core is no joke, either. Courtland Sutton has proven himself to be one of the better receivers in the league. Jerry Jeudy, our most recent first-round pick, is also full of potential and could very well be a top 5 receiver in a few years. The offensive line is definitely better than last year, but it does leave a bit more to be desired. Noah Fant, our starting tight end, might be in line for a breakout year, though.

Can He Prove Himself?

Lock will have a lot at his disposal in this offense. However, the AFC West is a grueling division. The Chiefs are currently the defending Super Bowl champions, the Raiders are looking like a very decent team that could shock many, and the Chargers still have enough talent to make a playoff run. The Broncos defense will also need to play at an elite level, especially since the division is scary. Von Miller, the key piece of this defense, will also miss at least three months.

If the Broncos are to succeed, Lock will need to take the next step and develop into a star. If Lock does step up to the challenge, the Broncos can easily make the playoffs. If he doesn’t, they will easily be overtaken by the Chiefs and Chargers.

Denver will be a fun team to watch. However, how they play will all depend on Drew Lock. He will be the difference between a playoff berth and an early season elimination. With all eyes on him, can Drew Lock succeed in the NFL?