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Denver Broncos: 11 young players to watch closely at training camp

By Sayre Bedinger

Jun 15, 2021; Englewood, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II (2) during an offseason workout at the UCHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 15, 2021; Englewood, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II (2) during an offseason workout at the UCHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /
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Denver Broncos, Drew Lock
Denver Broncos training camp 2021 – Drew Lock. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Drew Lock, QB (age: 24)

All eyes at Denver Broncos training camp will be fixed on the quarterback competition, and no single player on the team is under more pressure than quarterback Drew Lock.

According to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Broncos see a “different guy” in Lock this year based on his work ethic. That’s great news even considering that the league had a seriously restricted offseason in 2020 and Lock actually got in trouble with the league last year while coming in to work on his day off.

If all that needed to change were Lock’s work habits — whatever those were before — then perhaps the Denver Broncos are in for a real treat in 2021.

It was tough sledding in 2020 for the second-year QB, whose strong finish to the 2019 season was enough to prevent the Broncos from pursuing any of a number of veteran free agents, including Tom Brady.

Not that the Broncos would have certainly been able to sign Brady, but who knows?

The Broncos not only passed on the available QBs in 2020, but they largely passed on the available QBs in 2021. Teddy Bridgewater was brought in to compete with Lock and Bridgewater is really the quintessential game manager at the QB position.

That can be a good and bad thing for an NFL team, but at the very least, if the Broncos are losing games because of Drew Lock, they can turn to Teddy Two-Gloves and he would hopefully be able to keep the offense on track.

At training camp in 2021, every single throw Drew Lock makes is going to be scrutinized, fair or not. Media people will be keeping tabs on every incompletion, every interception, every touchdown — you get the idea.

It’s going to be critical to keep a level head and try to see the forest through the trees with Drew Lock.

If the Denver Broncos don’t acquire Aaron Rodgers in a trade, the best-case scenario for the future of the team is that Lock would prevail in the competition with Bridgewater and become the team’s permanent fixture at the position.

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