The Big Blue-Print: Missouri’s Drew Lock

Another week, another loss for the New York Giants. However, this week is different. The Giants are entering in full rebuild mode. General manager Dave Gettleman sees the bigger picture in that this New York team has no chance of making the playoffs this year. So with that, it’s time to trade players for assets.

Eli Apple? Gone to New Orleans. Damon “Snacks” Harrison? Sent to Detroit. In exchange for those two players, New York received 2019 fourth and fifth-round picks, and a 2020 seventh-rounder.

So now, the Giants have enough capital to make a run at a quarterback for the future. Last week, I analyzed perennial top quarterback in this year’s draft class, Justin Herbert. This time, I look at Missouri’s Drew Lock.

Who is Drew Lock?

While Justin Herbert is at the top of positional rankings, Drew Lock is right behind him at No. 2. Lock stands at 6-4, weighing in at 225 pounds.

Lock was a highly-touted recruit in high school, as he was given a four-star rating on 247Sports Composite Rankings. He was the top overall recruit out of Missouri in 2015, and the seventh-best pro-style quarterback in his recruiting class.

This year as a senior, Lock has completed 154-of-252 pass attempts for 1,979 yards, 16 touchdowns, and six interceptions through seven games on the year. However, it’s his junior year last season that really got everyone’s attention. Lock threw for 3,964 yards, 44 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. But like Josh Allen, who declared for the draft that year, his accuracy left much to be desired.

What the Game Tape Shows

When looking at Lock on film, he’s got the prototypical build that many NFL teams crave for. He does have that Patrick Mahomes-factor, in which he has that rocket arm, and is not afraid to use it. Lock can throw the ball downfield, whether it’s in the pocket, or on the run.

As you watch some of Missouri’s games this season, most of Lock’s throws are on the money. However, it’s a matter of if his receivers can catch the ball.

But there are other times where he’s got that Allen factor of the ball sailing way over the receiver’s head. A lot of that is due to his persistence on making a play, which sometimes proves to be costly. That was exemplified against Alabama just a couple of weeks ago. Granted it is Alabama, as their defense is stacked with pro-ready talent. However, Lock was pushing to make plays out of desperation. Throwing into double coverage, miscalculating on where he expects his receiver to be. He was under constant pressure throughout that game, and it showed, as he threw two interceptions and fumbled the ball once (which came on a sack).

Scouts will certainly throw red flags in his two performances before Alabama, where he played Georgia and South Carolina respectively. In those two matchups, he completed just 48-percent of his passes, throwing three interceptions and zero touchdowns.

But when watching his earlier performances before that rough three game stretch, Lock was essentially a one-man demolition crew. He could throw it deep, midfield, and short. He could extend plays outside of the pocket. Perhaps most importantly, he is not afraid to run for the end zone or a first down if he sees a good enough opening at the line of scrimmage.

What NFL Executives/Scouts are Saying

Scouts who were in attendance for Lock’s games say that his arm is “legit,” and can make any throw that is necessary at the NFL level. His athleticism has received praise, as he has shown that he can extend plays with his feet.  In terms of his arm and athleticism, he received comparisons to Jay Cutler.

Lock is the quiet type, and doesn’t possess the vocal leader role that many NFL teams would like. In terms of personality, he has been called an Eli Manning-type.

The accuracy has been compared to that of Josh Allen, but is statistically having his most accurate season at Missouri (61.1-percent).

NFL Network analyst and former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah compared Lock to Mahomes, in terms of arm strength and ability to thread the needle.

“I see a lot of similarities to Patrick Mahomes when he was coming out of Texas Tech,” write Jeremiah. “Both guys have big arms and move around really well. They can extend plays with their athleticism and fit balls into tiny windows. However, like Mahomes, Lock needs to be more judicious with the football and cut down on the mistakes that are a result of overaggressiveness.”

It Could be a Lock in New York

While Lock’s stock has taken a bit of a hit in the past month, there is still plenty of time for him to improve and show his full potential. Lock does have tough matchups looming against Kentucky and Florida in consecutive weeks, which talent evaluators will certainly use as a litmus test. Let’s not forget that it’s not just game day that makes or breaks a draft talent. There’s also the scouting combine, pro days, and private workouts with NFL teams.

In terms of the Giants, Lock could be a good fit for them. As I mentioned earlier, Lock has sometimes been held back by the play of his receivers. Hypothetically, if the Giants do select Lock, he’ll have the likes of Odell Beckham Jr., Sterling Shepard, and Evan Engram to target. Trust me when I say, Lock won’t have the same receiver issues like he has in Columbia, Missouri.

The one thing that is a concern is when he’s facing defensive pressure. That Alabama game was certainly an eye-opener, considering the woes the Giants have had at the offensive-line. While yes, Lock can move, he’s looking to get rid of the ball, as he’s not a scramble-first quarterback. In an NFC East division with tough defenses, I would be concerned about Lock’s ability to succeed, but we still have to see how Dave Gettleman fixes the “hogmollies” upfront. If that problem is solved, then I’d be more optimistic in Lock wearing a Giants uniform.

Important Note: Lock will face his next big test this Saturday, as he faces the No. 12 ranked Kentucky Wildcats, live at 4:00 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.