After Slipping From First Round, Drew Lock Could be Second-Round Steal for Broncos

Lock finished the 2018 season with 3,498 yards and 28 touchdowns.

After plunging out of the first round on Thursday, Missouri quarterback Drew Lock was selected by the Broncos with the No. 42 pick in the 2019 NFL draft.

Questions around Lock's accuracy and turnovers likely caused him to fall behind former Duke quarterback Daniel Jones, who was picked by the Giants at No. 6. According to SI's MMQB staff, Lock's bad habits have a Joe Flacco/Jay Cutler feel to them, especially his tendency to drift back for no particular reason and rely solely on arm talent. A career 52.5 completion percentage and 13-to-14 TD/INT ratio over 10 career games against ranked opponents also raised some concerns.

There's still a lot of reasons to be excited about Lock, however. Here's what Broncos fans should look forward to seeing from their new quarterback.

He has a prototypical combination of size and arm talent

Lock is a player that has size, mobility and enough athleticism along with a dependable arm to one day be a solid starting quarterback. In 2017, Lock led the FBS with 44 passing touchdowns before earning All-SEC honors in 2018.  A full-field reader, Lock has the ability to make reads and throws with anticipation. This is a quarterback who has as much pure talent as any other in this year's draft, and with a team that's willing to invest in his development, that talent will surely shine.

Todd Haley compared him to Philip Rivers

That an experienced offensive mind like Haley sees a bit of Rivers in Lock should give Broncos fans some confidence. Rivers began his career backing up Drew Brees for the first two seasons before leading the Chargers to a 14–2 record in 2006. Rivers's career passer rating of 96.0 is eighth-best all-time among NFL quarterbacks with at least 1,500 passing attempts, and at one point in his career, Rivers also led the league in single-season passing yards, passing touchdowns and completion percentage.

He's also a pretty good basketball player

Lock's talent on the hardwood shouldn't go unnoticed. Lock had high-major hoops offers from Oklahoma, Missouri and Wichita State coming out of high school. That kind of athleticism showcased by his two-sport ability is a big plus. Those who scouted him for basketball raved about his ability to move on the court, his instincts and his understanding of the little, unteachable aspects of the game. Those qualities are easily transferrable to the football field, which should help Lock stand out with time.