As the 2021 NFL Season inches closer, the Denver Broncos prepare for Training Camp. One major story to watch is Drew Lock and his progression after an offseason of work with “The Sherrif”.
After the struggles of the 2020 NFL Season, Drew Lock knew he had to improve in order to keep his job as the quarterback of the Denver Broncos for the upcoming 2021 NFL Season. In an effort to improve, Lock spent time with Peyton Manning working on all aspects of his game.
Lock spent plenty of time watching his own film, along with film from the 5x Most Valuable Player. The two spent nearly ten hours together watching film, per Ryan O’Halloran, The Denver Post.
"“We watched some of my old stuff, talked about some things I liked to do and then watched his stuff,” said Manning to The Denver Post. “Drew had some questions, like, ‘On this coverage, what did you like?’ It was just a lot of football talk — quarterback talk.”"
So, how much of Peyton Manning‘s work with Drew Lock will actually pay off? While we may not see an instantaneous leap in the first session of Training Camp, consistency will be key for Drew Lock as he looks to hold down the starting gig from his competition.
How soon will we see Lock’s work with Manning show up on the field though?
Footwork
One of the primary areas we’ve seen a change already is in Drew’s footwork.
During his first two years in the league, Lock operated with his right foot farther back than his left foot during passing plays. While plenty of the league’s top performers use this setup on passing plays, Lock often looked clunky and out of rhythm in his dropbacks as his timing was thrown off from having his right foot back.
So far through training camp, we have seen a more even approach to Lock’s footwork, similar to that of Manning. Coincidence, anyone?
Manning excelled in the quick passing game throughout his career in the NFL, largely due to his timing and rhythm. Quarterbacks often talk about having their feet tied to the quick game, making this aspect of a quarterback’s game a critical one.
Throughout the 2020 NFL Season, Lock often looked uncomfortable taking the short completions from in the pocket in the form of rhythm passing. A change of footwork could certainly help his comfort level as he enters his second year in Pat Shurmur’s offense.