Broncos WR Courtland Sutton says Drew Lock doing what he’s supposed to do

COLUMBIA, MISSOURI - NOVEMBER 23: Quarterback Drew Lock #3 of the Missouri Tigers celebrates with teammates 1after scoring a touchdown during the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium on November 23, 2018 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, MISSOURI - NOVEMBER 23: Quarterback Drew Lock #3 of the Missouri Tigers celebrates with teammates 1after scoring a touchdown during the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium on November 23, 2018 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Denver Broncos took a swing on quarterback Drew Lock in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, ending the former Missouri standout’s draft freefall. Now it’s up to him to grow into an eventual long-term starter.

Lock was expected to be a first-round pick. Many analysts’ mock drafts had him going to the Broncos at No. 10 overall. And while he still ended up in Denver, he’ll begin his rookie season with much less pressure than if he’d been an early first-round selection. As a result, Lock will be given more time to learn and grow as an NFL quarterback behind veteran Joe Flacco.

The Broncos recently wrapped up their second round of offseason team activities and second-year wide receiver Courtland Sutton offered some feedback of Lock’s performance so far.

More from Denver Broncos

“Drew’s doing what he’s supposed to do,” Sutton said. “He’s learning. He’s taking every rep that he can as seriously as he possibly could and should at this point in time. I got to see him for two weeks now and he’s doing what he’s supposed to be doing.”

There once was a time when young quarterbacks were allowed to develop slowly, but those days are ancient history. That said, there are some instances when highly-rated prospects do get that time, with Aaron Rodgers (who sat behind Brett Favre for several seasons) and Pat Mahomes (who served as Alex Smith’s backup during his rookie season) being the most prominent examples.

Lock will be given that chance. He has to take advantage of it.

According to Sutton, he’s off to a good start.

“He’s improving. He’s making throws as he’s supposed to throw. He’s just learning the system. That’s the biggest thing. He’s just trying to learn the system just like us. Once he gets it, he’ll be more comfortable, and he’ll be able to start distributing the ball around like he really wants to.”