2019 NFL Draft: Broncos end Drew Lock’s slide in the second round
Long projected as a first round pick, Drew Lock slid to the second round of the NFL Draft where the Denver Broncos moved up to select the Missouri quarterback.
Missouri quarterback Drew Lock seemed like a safe bet to be selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, but he instead slipped to the second round. The Broncos liked Lock, and reportedly considered him in the first round before settling on Iowa tight end Noah Fant.
With the ninth pick of the second round, many expected Denver to pull the trigger on Lock, but they instead passed on him again to take Kansas State versatile offensive lineman Dalton Risner.
They traded up to nab the tenth pick of the second round from the Bengals, surrendering No. 52, 125, and 182 to do so. And now John Elway may have found his franchise quarterback he has been searching for since Peyton Manning retired.
Denver has had an endless array of mediocre veterans since. Case Keenum was mostly serviceable last season, but after missing the postseason Elway orchestrated a trade with the Ravens for Joe Flacco and then dealt Keenum to Washington.
Flacco was always going to be a short term fix, though, and finding a quarterback of the future was undoubtedly one of the top priorities for the team in this year’s draft. Elway was patient, and walks away with Lock, who has the talent to be a good starting quarterback in the league.
Lock led the NCAA in touchdown passes as a junior in 2017, and then completed a career-high 64-percent of his passes as a senior last year. He’s got good arm strength and accuracy, but will need to work on the mental aspects of the game before he’s ready to play.
In a perfect world, the Broncos will be able to start Flacco next season before handing the keys to Lock in 2020 and beyond. Elway has swung and missed on drafted quarterbacks many times in the past, with the likes of Paxton Lynch and Brock Osweiler burned into the collective memories of the fanbase in Mile High.
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Elway will hope Lock is different, but regardless he offered too much value at this stage of the draft to let him slip out of the team’s grasp.
Grade: A-