2019 NFL Draft Profiles: Drew Lock, quarterback, Missouri

The NFL Draft kicks off tomorrow, and the Miami Dolphins are expected to address the offensive- and defensive-lines during the three-day selection process. There is still talk, however, of the Dolphins potentially looking for a quarterback at some point during the Draft, possibly as early as the first round. Would they make that move?

Earlier in our draft profiles series, we took a look at Duke quarterback Daniel Jones. Now, we add a second quarterback to the group, with Missouri passer Drew Lock. An expected top-ten pick, if Lock were to fall to the Dolphins with the 13th overall pick, should they make that selection?

Drew Lock bio

Age: 22 (November 10, 1996)
Born: Columbia, MO
High School: Lee’s Summit High School, Lee’s Summit, MO
College: Missouri

Taking over the starting quarterback position four games into his freshman year, Lock threw for 12,193 yards in four seasons, with a 56.9 career completion rate, 99 touchdowns, and 39 interceptions. He set the SEC single season passing touchdown record with 44 when he led the nation in 2017. He was named first-Team All-SEC in 2017 and second-team in 2018.

Drew Lock measurables

Height: 6’4”
Weight: 228 lbs.
Arms: 32-1/2””
Hands: 9”
40-yard dash: 4.69
Vertical jump: 31.0
Broad jump: 112.0
3-cone drill: 7.03
20-yard shuttle: 4.12

What they are saying

Paddi Cooper, Fake Teams - Lock enters the draft ticking all the major boxes you would want from an NFL quarterback. At 6’3” and 228 lbs he has good size, and his tape demonstrates more than enough arm strength to make all the big boy throws required and has plenty of athleticism to make him a multi dimensional player at the next level. There are a couple of concerns about Lock heading into the draft. He displays that typical arm arrogance of young quarterbacks and has a tendency to throw off his back foot which leads to overthrows and in the NFL, that will lead to interceptions. He also is skittish in the pocket and whether he is trying to emulate Aaron Rodgers’ light, dancing feet in the pocket, with Lock it comes across as a bit frantic and can lead him to not set his feet properly, which can cause accuracy issues. However he throws well deep and is not afraid to challenge tight windows, plus he’s shown the ability to make plays with his feet so fits the bill of the modern NFL quarterback.

Lance Zierlein, NFL.com - Full-field reader offering prototypical size and arm talent, but one that has a concerning lack of accuracy and consistency against top opponents. Inside of each game, Lock makes reads and throws that are worthy of an early pick. There will also be plays in the same game that highlight his random inaccuracy and issues defeating pocket pressure. He has as much pure talent as any quarterback from the 2018 draft, but he won’t reach that lofty potential unless he improves his accuracy and learns to play with better in-game presence. Comparison: Matthew Stafford. Projection: Round 1.

Joe Marino, The Draft Network - Lock is an experienced passer with his share of warts in terms of mechanics, handling pressure and working progressions. With that said, a new system in 2018 revealed very positive strides, particularly late in the season. Therefore, saying he is a finished product isn’t fair and there is room for growth. Lock does feature a blend of deep passing ability, arm strength, mobility and size that serves as a foundation to improve upon. I like his mindset as a passer and how much his decision making got better this season. I don’t foresee a high level franchise quarterback in Lock, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see him provided an opportunity to start and enjoy modest success.

Ryan Wilson, CBS Sports - Drew Lock looks the part of a young, franchise quarterback. He measures in at 6-foot-4, can throw the ball a mile, and plays with the swagger NFL teams want in their franchise quarterbacks. But questions remain about whether he can grow out of the inconsistencies that plagued him during his career at Missouri. Lock began to answer those doubts in January with a strong Senior Bowl performance -- both during the week of practice and the game. Yes, Duke’s Daniel Jones was named the game’s MVP, but Lock was the best passer on the field. Strengths: Lock reminds some talent evaluators of Matthew Stafford. He reminds us of Jay Cutler. Wherever you are on the spectrum, the main takeaway is undeniable: He has a rocket right arm, and that is his biggest asset. He’s also an extremely accurate deep-ball thrower who plays with confidence. Early in the season, when Lock was struggling in a new system, he flashed glimpses of just how good he can be. Here he is against Alabama, throwing a laser to the back of the end zone. Weaknesses: Lock’s hands measured just nine inches, which was the smallest among all quarterbacks at the Senior Bowl. Sam Darnold also had small hands and he had a solid rookie season, and Lock’s undersized hands were never an issue on the field and NFL teams likely won’t ding him for it. More importantly, Lock struggled with short and intermediate throws, some of which can be blamed on poor footwork. He also struggled to go through his progressions, which is not an unusual complaint about young quarterbacks. Comparison: Matthew Stafford.

PFF Analysis Team, Pro Football Focus - Lock has shown the ability to make plays outside the pocket on a consistent basis. Among the top QB prospects, Lock’s 73.7 overall grade outside the pocket ranks second and he has a 73.6 percent adjusted completion percentage on such plays. He also has shown some sneaky athleticism and rushed for 260 yards and six touchdowns for a 68.1 rushing grade.Some of the questions surrounding other quarterback prospects are not present when it comes to Lock. He has had solid back-to-back seasons with overall grades over 80.0, 3,400 yards passing and at least 30 big-time throws. He has shown the ability to anticipate throws and has become a fearless on-field leader.

Gavino Borquez, USA Today Draft Wire - Lock has a very strong arm with the ability to make all the throws into tight windows. He gets the ball out of his hand quickly, and takes advantage defenses. A better athlete than people realize, he can create yards on the ground if necessary. He has some gunslinger in him and he’s willing to take chances to make a big play, and is at his best throwing back shoulder tosses to the sideline. Lock has some major footwork issues which leads to inaccuracy and needs to be better under duress. Along with that, Lock will need to get better at his eye manipulation and reading defenses.

Kalyn Kahler, Sports Illustrated/Monday Morning Quarterback - NFL evaluators are taking note of Lock’s maturity and patience in making his reads this season. Had the 6’ 4”, 220-pound Lock panicked from the Purdue defense’s pressure—taking the sack or throwing the ball away—it would have been a missed opportunity. “The one thing that I am looking for this year that I haven’t seen, or would have liked to see more of in previous years, is his poise and pocket presence under pressure,” says a veteran NFL evaluator who has studied Lock. “The thing that really separates the good from the really good to even elite quarterbacks are the ones that can stand back there, know that it is coming and be able to just slow the game down and deliver the ball when you know that is going to happen, because it is going to happen.” The biggest knock against Lock is his accuracy. Last season, Lock completed 57.8% of his passes (better, in fact, than his first two seasons, and raising his career mark to 54.5%). He drew some comparisons to Josh Allen, who completed 56.3% of his passes at Wyoming last season, and is known primarily for his big arm, just like Lock. Completion percentage is an important number that evaluators discuss and make note of, but not without the bigger picture. “Drew does like to push the ball down the field for long throws,” the evaluator says. “Those are less likely to be more completed than the 10- and 12-yard passes. We looked at it; there was a receiver there who dropped the ball quite a bit. [Completion percentage doesn’t] give you credit for throwing a catchable ball.”

Charlie Campbell, WalterFootball - In all the storied programs and historic quarterbacks in the history of the SEC, including recent year stars like Cam Newton, Tim Tebow and Matthew Stafford, Lock did something no SEC quarterback had ever done when he threw 44 touchdowns in the 2017 season. He went on a tear in the last half of the year to lead Missouri to six straight wins after a 1-5 start. Lock completed 58 percent of his passes in 2017 for 3,964 yards with 44 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Lock is a gunslinger-style quarterback who has a big arm with the ability to throw any pass. His powerful arm allows him to fire the ball into tight windows for completions as the velocity of his throws is capable of beating coverage. He throws the ball well downfield and shows timing and anticipation. Along with his arm, Lock is a better athlete than one would expect. Scouts say that comes across the more one watches him, and his athleticism is a surprising plus for the big-armed quarterback. Lock also has above-average accuracy and showed improvement as a senior. He can throw receivers open and doesn’t miss open receivers. His field vision is advanced, too, as he moves his eyes to work through progressions and does not lock onto his primary target. There are a number of things that Lock needs to improve upon for the NFL. He suffers from what I call “big-arm syndrome,” meaning he can have some flaws in decision-making because he trusts his arm too much. That led to him throwing some passes he shouldn’t into coverage. Lock also could use some tutoring and mentoring because he was not coached up at Missouri. The Tigers had a revolving door at offensive coordinator, and sources say there are some basic things that Lock needs to pick up. However, they say he is smart and picked things up fast at the Senior Bowl. Sources say that of all the potential first-round quarterbacks in the 2019 NFL Draft, Lock has received the least amount of coaching and development.

Video breakdowns and film

Should Dolphins be interested?

Lock looks like an NFL quarterback, which will have sway with where he is drafted. If he is on the board, the Dolphins have to consider it. I do not think he will be there, and, if he does fall to Miami and they select him, I would assume that they love him and he is their “franchise” quarterback moving forward. I still believe the Dolphins are more worried about rebuilding the offensive- and defensive-lines, but Lock falling to them could make them rethink what they are targeting this year. That said, if he is there, I am making phone calls about trading back because there is some team out there that would love to jump up and grab Lock as their future quarterback.