NFL Hot Press

*Walt taking 2014 and 2018

Charlie Campbell, Senior Draft Analyst
Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell for updates.
Led all NFL media in draft rumor accuracy in '15, '16, '17, '18, and '20
Led all NFL media in correct picks for the 2017 and 2019 NFL Drafts

2021 NFL MOCK DRAFT - WALT'S | CHARLIE'S ROUND: 1

Lack of Leadership, Quiet Personality Could Hurt Lock

Updated Aug. 15, 2018
By Charlie Campbell. Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell.

The NFL has an insatiable demand for franchise quarterbacks, so a player like Missouri's Drew Lock is going to be a highly studied prospect after setting the SEC record for touchdown passes in a season with 44. The 6-foot-3, 226-pounder broke out in 2017, completing 58 percent of his passes for 3,964 yards with only 13 interceptions to his 44 scores. Lock enters the 2018 season in the running to be one of the top quarterback prospects for the 2019 NFL Draft, but team sources say that his quiet personality and an absence of vocal leadership skills could hurt him with some teams.

League contacts say that Lock's personality is similar to Eli Manning with the Giants. Lock is a quiet guy and not a vocal "rah-rah" leader who takes over the room. He does not like to be the center of attention and is a little nerdy. Some general managers and coaches want their quarterback to be a commanding personality to lead the team, but Lock does not fit that type of player.

While Lock is not a vocal leader, sources say he is smart with a good football I.Q. He learns quickly and is fast to pick things up. He also knows where he's supposed to go with the ball and is able to translate what he learns in the classroom to the field.

Scouts who have been to Missouri fall camp say that Lock's arm is legit. He has a rifle and is a good athlete. They say that he can really spin it and is able to make every throw required in the NFL. Sources label his skill set and athleticism as similar to Jay Cutler offset by a nice guy personality that is similar to Manning.

Some teams don't care if their quarterback is a vocal leader. They don't mind if he is a quiet, understated player in the locker room. Others want them to be a commanding leader that is very vocal. Thus, Lock could have some teams that are lukewarm on him because of his quiet personality.

Previous Three Articles:

Small-school Prospects

7/23/18:

Ohio State Leads All Schools for 2019 Draft Prospects

7/26/18:

In keeping with a series looking ahead to 2019, I caught up with scouts who ...

Other Schools Watchlist Info

8/7/18:

Next Three Articles:

Multiple 2019 DL Have McCoy-Suh Potential

8/30/18:

Early this summer, WalterFootball.com reported how advance NFL scouts worki ...

Training Camp Standouts

9/7/18:

The in-person scouting process for the 2019 NFL Draft ramped up when area s ...

Some Sources Plan to Fight for Simmons

9/13/18:

A couple of years ago, many evaluators and coaches felt that Oklahoma runni ...