Anonymous NFL Exec Dishes on Drew Lock's Year 2 Outlook
The ongoing theme surrounding the outlook of the 2020 Denver Broncos has been that there isn't an ongoing theme. The opinions of prognosticators on the Broncos have been all over the proverbial dartboard this offseason, with the general consensus coming down to 'we have no flipping idea.'
For good reason, though. Coming off of it's third-straight losing season for the first time in over 40 years, Denver has just put the finishing touches on a multi-year and multi-faceted rebuild of sorts following Super Bowl 50's triumph.
The offense as a whole is incredibly young and unproven, but also dripping with talent and potential. The defense is entering Year 2 of the complicated 'match quarters' defense that head coach Vic Fangio installed last season, and has some key missing pieces in the coverage units that could really hamper the unit's effectiveness.
With a myriad of question marks and unknowns, it has become increasingly hard to predict what the Broncos will be able to accomplish this season, leading to some head-scratching opinions from media in high places.
Arguably the most polarizing of these debates and opinions surround second-year QB Drew Lock and what his growth will look like after his five-game audition late last season.
The flashes of natural talent and boisterous charisma needed from a franchise quarterback were on full display from Lock, galvanizing the team down the stretch en route to a 4-1 finish.
But despite his early successes, opinions of Lock from around the NFL world vary from'"we need to see more' to 'MVP potential.'
Seemingly throwing gasoline on an already burning debate, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller released an article on Friday afternoon that highlighted seven potential breakout players for the 2020 season, citing league scouts and coaches as sources.
One of those players was none other than Lock.
The scout Miller spoke with had some seriously high praise for Denver's signal-caller, even treading the waters of 'hot take territory.'
After the progression we saw from Lock in 2020 — from his first preseason outing to the regular-season finale — it's hard to disagree with this sentiment. Lock dramatically improved his footwork over the course of last season and looked like a competent quarterback down the stretch.
Whether you agree that' he'll be the best of the 2019 quarterback draft class or not is neither here nor there. The fact of the matter is this; another NFL source is speaking highly about Drew Lock and his potential, which is happening more and more frequently as of late.
Miller then broke down why he has Lock on his list.
"Predicting a quarterback breakout can be risky, as so much about his success is driven by the situation around him." Miller explained. "You need good coaches, a competent offensive line and enough weapons that the young signal-caller isn't doing it all on his own.
"Drew Lock has that now. There are no excuses for the quarterback who engineered a 4-1 finish to the season to not take the next step after team president John Elway spent the offseason giving him a Christmas wish list worth of gifts on offense."
Miller is absolutely correct here, folks. The onus sits squarely at Lock's feet now. The dearth of receiving weaponry the Broncos possessed in 2019 truly hampered the offense's true potential, and one could argue that it held back Lock's growth in his first year.
Despite Courtland Sutton's meteoric ascension as a true No. 1 receiver and Noah Fant's record-setting rookie season at tight end, Denver's tertiary pass-catchers left a lot to be desired in 2019.
After trading Emmanuel Sanders at the trade deadline, Denver rotated Tim Patrick and DaeSean Hamilton opposite Sutton to varying success, and struggled to find a consistent receiving threat out of the backfield.
Several upgrades had to be made, and Elway obliged with his 2020 draft haul, securing a trio of dynamic receiving threats to add to the team's arsenal.
Miller, much like several other pundits around the league, is incredibly high on the Broncos for 2020 and despite his thoughts on the Broncos offensive line, he thinks Lock and the rest of the offense is primed for a lot of success moving forward.
"Adding to a roster that already featured Courtland Sutton, Phillip Lindsay and Noah Fant, the Broncos signed running back Melvin Gordon and drafting wide receivers Jerry Jeudy (Round 1) and K.J. Hamler (Round 2)" Miller continued. "They also selected Lock's former college tight end, Albert Okwuegbunam, in Round 4.
"The Broncos offensive line is a question mark, particularly at the tackle spots, but Lock has the weapons and talent to lead this offense to heights not seen since the early 2010s."
The one thing that I disagree with Miller on is his stance about the Broncos offensive line.
Elway and company did a massive overhaul along the interior, signing Graham Glasgow to a deal in free agency as well as drafting Lloyd Cushenberry in the third round of the 2020 draft. While the health and availability of RT Ja'Wuan James is still a massive question mark, left tackle Garett Bolles showed a lot of improvement with Lock in the starting lineup.
If James is actually healthy and can play at his usual level, the Broncos offensive line might be a sneaky good unit in 2020.
Regardless, the fact that Lock is catching more and more media and league attention over the past couple weeks should have fans very optimistic about this coming season.
Lock has forcefully taken the reins to his success into his own hands, further accentuating the upgrades Elway has handed him. The throwing sessions Lock has organized outside of the team facility is a gigantic neon sign worth of proof to that.
If Miller's source's words hold any weight at all, watch out folks. This could be a special season in Denver.
Follow Lance on Twitter @SandersonMHH and @MileHighHuddle.
