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He’s the Locke that no one is talking about for the Denver Broncos. P.J. Locke spent the 2020 season as a nondescript special teams player. Heading into his third NFL season, he is 100% guaranteed to not be the Broncos starting QB, and his chances at making the team aren’t that much better.
#37 P.J. Locke
Age 23.
5’10”, 202 lbs.
College: Texas
Locke finds himself in a crowded defensive backfield. His path to making the roster resides on the special teams unit.
The Good
Locke played in 15 games in 2020. He spent most of his time on special teams, but saw a few defensive snaps, making 3 solo tackles. It’s not a huge sample, but Vic Fangio and Ed Donatell have used several DBs in their time in Denver. He has also caught the eye of Von Miller, being mentioned as a member of a solid DB room:
“We’ve got Patrick Surtain, [S] Justin Simmons, [S] Kareem Jackson, [CB] Kyle Fuller, [CB] Bryce Callahan, and the list goes on. We’ve got a whole bunch of young guys, too—[S] P.J. Locke and all those young guys that are ready for the opportunity. Being a pass-rusher, DBs are my best friends out there. We’ve got a lot of them in there. It should be fun.”
It’s not much, but when the leader on the defense mentions you, it means you’ve made a small impact.
On top of that, as has been noted in the past, Locke is a high character guy. The Broncos have made an effort to bring in players that make a positive impact on the locker room and the community.
The Bad
That deep bench of DBs only makes it harder for Locke to make the team. If the word nondescript is used as a way to describe someone, they probably are a long shot to make the team. He hasn’t done anything of note in his career. It will take a big leap for Locke to be able to break through. And with the money and draft picks spent, Locke’s chances continue to diminish.
Final Thoughts
It seems obvious that Locke is not in the team’s plans defensively. However, he played in 15 games in 2020. He is a special teams player who can make the final roster. You won’t hear much about him, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he is running down kickoffs on Sundays for the Broncos.