Despite being considered as one of the top quarterback prospects ahead of the 2019 NFL Draft, Missouri’s Drew Lock waited patiently in the green room on Thursday, only for him to remain undrafted after all 32 first-round picks were selected. Where could he be headed in the lead-up to the second day of this year’s draft?
As noted by Bleacher Report , Day 1 of the 2019 NFL Draft featured three quarterbacks getting selected in the top 15, as Kyler Murray (No. 1) went to the Arizona Cardinals, Daniel Jones (No. 6) was chosen by the New York Giants, and Dwayne Haskins (No. 15) ended up with the Washington Redskins. No quarterbacks were picked in the second half of the first round, and as far as Lock is concerned, the outlet predicted that he might have to wait even longer than most experts expected, as the top six selections in the second round mostly belong to teams that are set at the quarterback position.
Given their current situations at quarterback, the Oakland Raiders (No. 35), Denver Broncos (No. 41), and Cincinnati Bengals (No. 42) were all mentioned as possible destinations for Drew Lock. The Raiders, however, were described as the biggest long shot of the three teams, as Derek Carr is still young enough at 28-years-old. Despite rumors that head coach Jon Gruden isn’t that sold on Carr as his starting quarterback, per NBC Bay Area , Bleacher Report wrote that he could be given a chance to throw passes to the likes of recent acquisition Antonio Brown in the 2019 NFL season.
Drew Lock: I’d rather go No. 32 to the right team than No. 1 to a bad team https://t.co/hpO97UgIhf
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) April 25, 2019
With that in mind, the publication predicted that the Broncos and Bengals could be likelier landing spots for Lock. While the Broncos traded for Joe Flacco in the offseason, the fact that the former Baltimore Ravens signal-caller is 34 could mean that the team would need a younger quarterback to take over sooner rather than later.
As for the Bengals, Andy Dalton will be turning 32 this season, but as Bleacher Report noted, Cincinnati has been “stuck in mediocrity” for most of his career. This, the outlet added, could make Lock a plausible choice to take over after he learns behind Dalton, who has two years remaining on his current contract.
Seen by many as the second- or third-best quarterback in the 2019 NFL Draft behind Kyler Murray and Dwayne Haskins, Drew Lock stood out in the college ranks for his “big arm” and mobility, but could have had a better chance at getting picked in the first round, had he declared for last year’s draft, Bleacher Report stressed. As shown in his Sports-Reference player page, Lock’s senior year at Missouri (3,498 yards, 28 touchdowns, eight interceptions) was more than solid, but not as statistically impressive as his junior year, where he threw for 3,964 yards, 44 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.
