Drew Lock is taking an important step in his development

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The most important plan in the Denver Broncos organization is beginning to unfold.

On Apr. 26, the night the Broncos drafted Drew Lock, John Elway declared the 6-foot-4, 228-pound quarterback the future.

But, with Joe Flacco in the mix, not only was it going to be a process for the second-round pick to emerge, he was going to have to win the backup spot first.

Throughout the offseason program and the start of training camp, it was clear Lock was not the backup. That was Kevin Hogan’s job.

Early on in camp, not only was Lock making the most impressive throws each day, he was consistently the safest with the ball—two key traits in the development of a rookie quarterback.

But despite that, Lock was clearly still the third quarterback according to the team’s actions. Heck, two days into camp, Vic Fangio didn’t even believe his rookie QB was a QB.

“He’s not a quarterback yet. He’s a hard-throwing pitcher that doesn’t know how to pitch yet, so the faster he gets that the better off he’ll be and we’ll be,” the head coach said. “I don’t think he’s far along being a ready NFL quarterback as he could have been. That’s what I mean when he’s got to get ready.”

But Lock continued to string together days of impressive throws, poise and, most importantly, turnover-free ball, with an occasional hiccup here and there.

“He’s getting better. I think he’s getting better,” Fangio stated after the team’s seventh practice of camp on Thursday. “He’s not a union NFL quarterback yet, but he’s improving.”

A compliment from Vic Fangio. Progress.

On Friday, Lock took his most visible step yet on the football field in his path toward the future. Decked out in the Bronco blue, No. 3 got multiple series with the second-string offense.

“That was our plan the whole way is to eventually let him work with the twos some,” Fangio stated after practice. “Him and Kevin alternate a little bit.”

Although the eye test made it crystal clear for months Lock deserved this, he’s finally moving up.

Lock made the most of his No. 2 reps, too.

From the gun, in a seamless motion, Lock corralled the snap, turned to the right and ripped the ball out toward the right sideline. On a pass that needed to be to the receiver in an instant, Lock’s arm fired the ball the 20 yards laterally and nearly took the receiver’s hands off.

During the same series, Lock displayed his arm in a much different fashion.

On a designed running-back screen to the left, Lock slowly rolled right, throwing the defense off, then quickly turned around to find there was a much bigger defender standing directly between him and the 5-foot-7, 170-pound running back Devontae Jackson.

Instead of spiking the ball and waving the white flag, Lock glided the ball just over the defender’s head—putting just enough touch on it to make it to Jackson safely, but adding enough zing so the rest of the defense didn’t have time to collapse and blow up the play.

One day before, Lock’s arm was on display in an even different fashion. Practicing the Hail Mary at a walkthrough pace from midfield, it appeared Lock threw the ball at half-effort, in compliance with the walkthrough pace, as he merely flicked his wrist.

Yet the ball easily went 60 yards into the end zone.

While his arm strength is no-doubt impressive, it’s the level of consistency he’s had with keeping the ball safe that’s really impressed through the first week of camp.

Fangio will let the quarterbacks know their order for the Hall of Fame game on Sunday or Monday.

Regardless of where Lock stands on the unofficial depth chart for Thursday’s game, it’s clear Lock is impressing the coaches and quickly moving his way up.

The future is getting closer. One rifled pass at a time.