Dalton Risner: Drew Lock is 'Going to Kick a lot of A** Next Year'

When the Denver Broncos used a 2019 second-round pick on Kansas State offensive lineman Dalton Risner, the team ended up getting a committed pro. Risner, from Wiggins, CO, grew up rooting for his local NFL team, so it was a dream come true to suit up for the Orange and Blue.

“How blessed am I to be able to play the game I love? Run out there at Empower Field and look at the seats where I used to sit as a kid wishing I played,” Risner queried via CBS Denver in the locker room following the Broncos' season-finale win over Oakland.

Just like RB Phillip Lindsay, the Broncos' other homegrown star, it’s a mixture of hard-earned grind and dedication that mark Risner out for sustained success in the NFL. Risner quickly became a plug-and-play option for his coaches, starting all 16 games and garnering a selection on Pro Football Focus' All-Rookie Team along the way.

It's quite an achievement considering the 24-year-old guard also battled through several close defeats, his own nagging injuries down the stretch, and the struggles within his position group that recurred all season long.

Coming through such adversity as a rookie marks Risner out as an individual who always keeps a positive mindset about his team, and its chances moving forward.

“Of course I didn’t want to be 7-9 this year,” Risner said, speaking about the Broncos 2019 season. “But I think that we could have easily been a 3-13 team and put our heads down and given up. But we ended up 7-9, knocking a team out of the playoffs, beat some great teams and really have some great stuff to build on leading into 2020."

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Missed opportunities and blowing multiple fourth-quarter leads will haunt the Broncos during an offseason of reflection. Perhaps the biggest single 'what if' that could nag this team is this; what if QB Drew Lock had been activated in time to save Denver's playoff chances?

Risner, for one, remains philosophical in believing that the hard knocks will toughen the Broncos up for the challenges of next season.

“Nothing’s going to be perfect; we all wish we would be a playoff team," Risner said. "We are all probably here sitting, thinking, 'what if Drew had been QB all year? Maybe we would have had this kinda fire from the very beginning.' But those are growing pains that football teams have to go through."

What has become abundantly clear is that the young QB, who was drafted one spot after Risner in the 2019 draft, is undoubtedly the new leader for this emerging team. Risner is buoyant about his signal-caller's abilities and full of confidence that he can build on the late-season wins he piled up.

“I can’t say enough good things about Drew Lock," Risner said. "4-1 football player. It’s hard to win games in the NFL, especially when you are a rookie. Drew deserved to be drafted in the first round, I think he proved it with those first five games. I think Drew is going to kick a lot of ass next year."

Having their destinies so closely tied together since the draft, Risner is as well-placed as anyone to pass judgment on Lock. With the Broncos set to retool along the O-line in the upcoming draft, the man from Wiggins will be relied on to hold his unit together and become even more of a leader in his second year, but it’s a task he is more than capable of excelling at.

Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL and @MileHighHuddle.