How does Drew Lock ‘win’ the job as starting QB?

Tim Jenkins, CEO of Jenkins Elite and sometimes known as the “QB whisperer” on Twitter, has been a big supporter of Drew Lock’s ability to improve - particularly in his ability to read defenses.

But has also been highly critical of Lock’s footwork. The primary complaint being his penchant not to drop the left foot back.

In a Broncos “hype” video from Tuesday’s OTAs, it appears Lock has improved this, and that means Jenkins’ Twitter was blowing up.

So he broke down a couple of the throws for Broncos Country and then also joined Ryan Edwards and Benjamin Allbright to talk about Lock and the upcoming season.

“I do think it’s actually a big deal,” Jenkins said of the seemingly new footwork in the three-second play, admitting that he understands the positives to going right foot back first but likes seeing Lock going back to a more traditional stance.

Since I’m not a QB whisperer, I asked Jenkins to elaborate on just why he thinks this is important for most QBs - and it actually has a lot to do with reading the defense and getting the right route.

“When you play with your left foot back in the gun, a QB tends to have his feet tied to the concept better,” Jenkins said. “This gets his eyes to the concept at the appropriate time, helping younger QBs. The right foot back tends to make QBs late to quick game and early to downfield concepts, which hurts younger quarterbacks, in my opinion.”

(*editor’s note: If you love QB-speak, listen to Jenkins go into his playbook lingo at the five-minute mark and critique the one-skip drop, a modified three-step, which he points out was what Lock needed to do to avoid a couple of near-pick-sixes last season.)

“As long as this stuff is getting taught, I think we’ll see more success from that entire QB room,” Jenkins added.

Given the 50-50 reps Vic Fangio says will be given to Lock and Teddy Bridgewater in camp, Jenkins believes that the way Lock earns the starting job unequivocally is to basically show he’s got what Bridgewater doesn’t (big arm) but can also avoid turnovers.

And the left-foot back is all part of improving on that turnover problem.

“Step one for me is done; obviously he’s going to utilize a different level of footwork, which I do think is going to help,” he said, noting that a lot of Lock critics claim that “switching feet” doesn’t really help him identify the right guy to target.

It’s safe to say Jenkins disagrees with those critics.

“Well, no bozo, it kinda does,” he says. “Because if your footwork is tied correctly to the concept, your eyes will get to the right guy so you will identify somebody quicker.”

For Jenkins then, step two of winning the job is cutting down on turnovers and being better in scramble drill.

Edwards asked Jenkins about a comment from Melvin Gordon, who said a missing piece for Lock’s development has been a veteran mentor.

Jenkins didn’t disagree that a veteran to watch and learn from is always good for young quarterbacks, but he did dispel the notion that Bridgewater will have any real motivation to mentor Lock.

“No shot in hell that Teddy Bridgewater is that guy,” he laughed, noting that Bridgewater is super competitive and introverted. “Teddy is not the guy to say, ‘hey buddy, let me bring you along.’ He’s there to go win a job and keep being a starting quarterback in the NFL.”

But it’s not a knock against Bridgewater; it’s more just a reality, Jenkins says, of virtually any starting NFL quarterback who is there to earn the starting job.

“These are hyper-competitive guys who aren’t the types to say ‘hey man, let me show you where to put your backpack’ on the first day,” Jenkins joked, adding that ‘mentoring’ isn’t necessarily what Lock really needed last year.

“What he needed more than anything was a second year in any offense,” Jenkins said. “He needed a little bit of continuity. He has that, and I think that’s going to help him much more than any veteran saying ‘hey man, let me show you the ropes.’”