3. Drew Lock
This one should be obvious, but let me explain why the Denver Broncos cannot afford — by injury or opt-out — for Drew Lock to miss the 2020 season.
The first reason is the most important: They built their entire 2020 offseason around him.
Everything the Broncos did in the 2020 offseason can tie back to Drew Lock.
Their biggest free agent acquisitions in terms of dollars were offensive guard Graham Glasgow and running back Melvin Gordon.
Their top two draft picks were wide receivers, and four of their top six picks in the 2020 NFL Draft were offensive players in general.
The Broncos opted against pursuing proven veteran options at the quarterback position, perhaps the most impressive roster of free agent quarterbacks we have ever seen, and decided instead to build off of Lock’s five-game sample from 2019.
The backup right now is Jeff Driskel, whose accomplishments in the NFL are not many.
If there’s any individual player the Broncos can’t live without in 2020, it’s Drew Lock. They’re counting on him in a big way.