4 NFL players that would be irreplaceable for COVID opt-out
By Dustin Baker
3. Drew Lock, QB, Denver Broncos
Didn’t expect this guy on here, did you?
Yes, Drew Lock is an unrefined commodity. And yes, the man has only played in five career games. But the competence, machismo and excitement Lock brought to the Denver Broncos in 2019 will not be replicated by anyone else in 2020. Therefore, he cannot be lost to injury, the coronavirus, or opt-out this season.
The Broncos hired a defense-first coach in Vic Fangio in early January of 2019. It almost felt odd considering the allure of sexy offensive-minded coaches that are so sought after as of late. President of Football Operations John Elway then spent the next year-and-a-half loading up the Broncos depth chart with offensive weaponry.
Denver selected Lock, Noah Fant, Dalton Risner, Jerry Jeudy, K.J. Hamler, and Albert Okwuegbunam all in the last two drafts. Oh, and they nonchalantly added tailback Melvin Gordon to the depth chart to split carries with running back Philip Lindsay.
Denver has a chilling balance of both offensive and defensive talent that it has not showcased since Peyton Manning was around.
But none of it matters if Drew Lock isn’t running the show. If Lock needed to exit-stage-left for whatever reason, the next man up would be former Lions and Bengals signal-caller Jeff Driskel. The 27-year-old quarterback is probably a swell guy but he will not generate the playoff-minded flirtations that Lock has managed to induce.