Broncos' QB Drew Lock Kept Two Interesting Mementos to Remind him of Draft-Day Plummet

While it might not be fair to say that Drew Lock has the memory of an elephant, it would be apropos to say that he carries a chip on his shoulder. Roundly viewed as a first-round-caliber quarterback prospect heading into the 2019 NFL Draft, Lock tumbled completely out of the first round.

His precipitous fall played right into the hands of GM John Elway and the Denver Broncos, who promptly packaged a trade to move up and select Lock with the No. 42 overall pick in the second round. Lock had to go through a similarly agonizing draft night wait, like Aaron Rodgers back in 2005, sitting in the green room while nearly everyone around him heard their name called except him.

The next day, Lock decided not to put himself through that agony again, choosing instead to wait at a hotel for word from the league. The Broncos traded up with the Cincinnati Bengals and took Lock, ending his plummet.

That experience has served as motivation to Lock and was the figurative meteor that took such a massive chip out of his shoulder. With the 2019 draft officially one year in the books, NFL media contacted Lock to do a video retrospective on his experience and what we learned only added to the kid's growing legend.

It's been a year since @DrewLock23 was drafted.

He's carried the draft cards with him every day. 💯@heykayadams | @broncos pic.twitter.com/LXrhAmCUg9
— NFL (@NFL) May 2, 2020

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Lock not only kept the draft card used to announce him as a Broncos' draft pick but also the card announcing the trade. As he said, he'd 'be lying' if he said he didn't think about his draft-day plummet every day.

If his rookie trajectory is any indication, that world-sized chip has absolutely had a galvanizing effect on the young signal-caller. Lock went from being the third guy on the Broncos' QB depth chart behind Joe Flacco to the No. 2 relatively quickly.

Then, tragedy struck. Lock seriously sprained the thumb on his throwing hand three preseason games in and it landed him on injured reserve to open his rookie year.

After a 10-week exile in which he utilized the Broncos' Virtual Reality training program to great effect, mastering the playbook and going through each of the team's daily practices at least twice per day, he finally got his chance. With Flacco failing to elevate the team and landing on IR himself, the Broncos finally activated Lock straight from the training room to the starting job in Week 13.

What ensued was a five-game whirlwind in which Lock led the Broncos to a 4-1 finish. His play captivated a fanbase and earned the faith and belief not only of his teammates but of his coaches and the front office.

Lock would finish with a 7-to-3 TD-to-INT ratio while setting several team and NFL rookie records along the way. It was impressive.

What jumped out to me the most, however, was how far Lock clearly leaped between that thumb injury and his Week 13 pro debut. He looked like a different quarterback.

Despite his relative inexperience, Lock played with poise and command while bringing a swagger and confidence to a Broncos' offense that had been in dire lack of both elements for years. It clearly made an impression on the team brass as the entire 2020 offseason has been dedicated to building the nest around Lock.

With two new wide receivers in the fold in Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler, along with former college teammate and 4.49-fast TE Albert Okwuegbunam, to say nothing of the starting center Elway procured in the form of Lloyd Cushenberry, it's safe to say that Lock will be loaded for bear on this hunt.

His constant reminder of the draft-day plummet last year, which he thinks of daily, will serve as additional fuel to drive him to succeed heading into year two. While his 4-1 start doesn't guarantee a successful career, at this stage, nothing Lock has shown me would dissuade me from the belief that this kid is the genuine article.

Or as the kids say, I believe Drew Lock is the Truth.

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.