Denver Broncos: How will Drew Lock do in his second season?

Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock will get even more playing time in 2020. How will he do in his first season as the full-time starter?

Drew Lock was a lot of fun to watch when he started the last five games of the 2019 season for the Denver Broncos. He threw seven touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 100-of-156 of his throws.

Yes, there were some throws—interceptions or incompletions—that he would have liked to have back, but overall he did a really good job. He was made for this type of offense that Rich Scangarello is running.

So, looking into the future, how will he do in his second season in the NFL—this time as the starting quarterback?

It will help that he has some really good talent around him.

Courtland Sutton has emerged as an extremely reliable weapon for the Denver Broncos. In two seasons, he has caught 114 passes for 1,816 yards and ten touchdowns, including six in 2019. It is amazing how well Sutton has done, given that the Broncos don’t have a load of talent behind him.

Noah Fant has become a popular target of Lock’s, catching 40 passes for 562 yards and three touchdowns, including a long of 75 yards. (Boy, that play was fun!)

The Broncos are expected to use this offseason to build around Drew Lock. That means adding offensive weapons through the 2020 draft and possibly (probably?) the free agent class.

Many people have done mock drafts and included one or two wide receivers in the mix. Oftentimes they mocked a wide receiver in the first round (the Broncos pick 15th in this year’s draft). Guys like Jerry Jeudy, Laviska Shenault, CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Reagor, and Henry Ruggs III could interest the team.

The Broncos also need some help on the offensive line, which would help give Lock time to throw. Denver struggled mightily the last few years on the offensive line. The drafting of guard Dalton Risner was a tremendous pick in 2019 but they need more.

Denver seems to have more confidence in left tackle Garett Bolles this time around after he improved over the course of the 2019 season. So hopefully the second year with Mike Munchak as the offensive line coach helps Bolles get his mind right so that he will stop committing penalties.

A big question mark on the team is the depth on the offensive line. It was a mess in 2019. So if one of the starting five got hurt, it looked like there was going to be trouble. The team signed Ja’Wuan James as the highest-paid right tackle in the NFL last offseason but he was plagued with injuries throughout the year.

The Broncos certainly have to help Lock out up front.

In five games, Lock was sacked five times. His mobility has certainly been a great asset and I expect him to use it more and more as he gains experience.

It is an exciting time for Broncos fans. The team finally has a good quarterback and they are going to have to give him some more help so that he has a greater chance at succeeding in the 2020 season and beyond.