Overview
Position: Quarterback
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 225 pounds
School: Missouri Tigers
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.69 seconds
Vertical jump: 31.0 inches
Broad jump: 9 feet, 4 inches
20-yard shuttle: 4.12 seconds (tied for second-best among quarterbacks)
Drew Lock 2019 NFL Draft Profile
Drew Lock is one of the most interesting prospects in the 2019 NFL Draft. Lock was one of the most coveted quarterbacks coming out of high school, ranking as the sixth-best pro-style quarterback in the 2015 recruiting class. Lock ended up landing with Missouri, becoming one of the best quarterbacks in school history. A four-year starter, Lock finished his collegiate career completing 56.9% of his passes for 12,193 yards, 99 touchdowns, and 39 interceptions.
Lock’s best season came during his Junior year back in 2017. Playing in all 13 games, Lock completed 57.8% of his passes for 3,964 yards, 44 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. Lock’s 44 touchdowns were a conference record, a feat made all the more impressive considering Cam Newton, Matthew Stafford, and many other legit NFL quarterbacks came from the SEC.
While his 2018 season wasn’t quite as good from a statistical standpoint, Lock did erase a few worries during his final year in college. For one, Lock completed a career-high 62.9% of his passes during his senior season. Prior to 2018, Lock has never eclipsed a 58% completion percentage. Additionally, Lock led Missouri to their best record in Lock’s four-year collegiate tenure (8-5).
Strengths
- Ideal build and body for the NFL
- Rocket arm capable of reaching any part of the field
- Confidence and willingness to stretch the field
- Improved completion percentage every year as a starter
- Reduced turnovers and improved decision making as a senior
- Capable of throwing both on the run and from the pocket
Weaknesses
- Accuracy, especially to the deep portion of the field, is scattershot
- Overconfidence in his arm can lead to poor decisions
- Tends to lock on to the first read regardless of coverage
- Sometimes leaves the pocket too early and struggles to sense the rush at times
- Overall, not as consistent as one would like
NFL Comparison: Jay Cutler
Teams With Need at Position: New York Giants, Denver Broncos, Washington Redskins, Miami Dolphins
Projection: Early- to mid-first round
Bottom Line
Lock probably isn’t the best quarterback in the class, but he has the best arm. His frame, athleticism, and overall build give him the potential to be a franchise quarterback for years to come under the proper tutelage. His accuracy is underwhelming and he some questionable decisions simply because he believes in the power of his arm. That might not carry over to the NFL, as everyone is faster and better than the competition he was able to exploit in college. That said, he’s shown the ability to make big plays and put up numbers with an underwhelming set of weapons at Missouri.
He doesn’t have quite the same arm as Patrick Mahomes, but he has a similar profile. However, he also has a similar profile to Jay Cutler, and Cutler is a more likely outcome. Drafting Lock is something of a project, as he still needs to work on reading a defense and adapting to the NFL game before earning the starting role. Lock’s best fit would be going somewhere with a veteran quarterback already entrenched and letting Lock learn the game at his own pace.
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