Drew Lock’s name still hadn’t been announced by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell when pick No. 32 — the last of first-round selections — rolled around.
With the No. 4 pick in the NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders were the first team the former MU quarterback was a probable pick for. Instead, the Raiders went with former Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell. Next, the New York Giants were expected to pick Lock with their No. 6 pick. The Giants picked a quarterback, but it was Daniel Jones, who played for Duke University.
Arguably the most likely spot for Lock to land heading into the draft was at No. 10 with the Denver Broncos. Lock’s Las Vegas over/under was set at 10.5, but the Broncos traded their pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who took former Michigan linebacker Devin Bush.
On and on the draft went, and Lock continued to slide. Other probable places for Lock to end up — Green Bay, Cincinnati, Washington — all passed on him as their first pick. When the Broncos’ pick finally rolled around at No. 20, they chose former Iowa tight end Noah Fant.
When the New England Patriots went on the clock as the No. 32 pick for the 2019 NFL Draft, hopes of Lock being selected in the first round were fleeting. With 12 picks in this year’s draft and Tom Brady turning 42 this August, it was inevitable that the Patriots would draft a QB that could step in as Brady’s successor within the coming years.
That successor won’t be Lock, as the Patriots used their first pick to draft wide receiver N’Keal Harry. The pick pushed Lock out of the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Instead, Lock did end up with the Broncos, albeit as the No. 42 pick in the second round after the team traded up with the Cincinnati Bengals. The slide may have put a damper on Lock’s draft experience, but ultimately the quarterback thinks the unpredicted circumstances will benefit him.
“This adds a little chip to the shoulder, bigger than the one that’s already there,” Lock said in a teleconference following his selection. “If I for some reason needed any extra motivation, I definitely got it.”
Lock was the fourth quarterback taken in the draft. John Elway, Broncos Hall of Fame quarterback, has selected six QBs during his time as the team’s general manager, but none of them remain on the Broncos’ roster.
Former Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco will be the starting quarterback for Denver this season, according to a statement from Elway following Lock’s drafting. Flacco will serve as a mentor for Lock, who will work to earn a starting position in the future.
Lock wasn’t the only former Missouri player whose draft stock slid. While defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr. ended up going to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the No. 215 pick overall, wideout Emanuel Hall slid past his projected fourth round pick and out of the draft entirely.
Hall wasn’t alone.
Missouri’s other top draft prospects — offensive lineman Paul Adams, linebacker Terez Hall, running back Damarea Crockett and tight end Kendall Blanton — all also went undrafted after seven rounds were completed.
However, each of them found spots as undrafted free agents nonetheless.
Emanuel Hall announced via Twitter that he had signed a contract with the Chicago Bears. It’s suspected that he slid so far in the draft due to a groin injury that kept him off the field for the majority of his senior season at Missouri.
Terez Hall’s signing with the Patriots also surfaced via Twitter. He took an official visit with the team last week, which was one of their allotted top-30 visits. Hall injured his pectoral muscle during the combine in March, and only participated in the bench press.
Adams will sign with the Giants, Blanton will sign with the Los Angeles Rams and Crockett will join the Houston Texans.
The 2019-2020 NFL football season begins on Aug. 1 with a preseason game between the Broncos and Atlanta Falcons.
_Edited by Leah Glasser | lglasser@themaneater.com_
