Let’s pump the brakes on the Drew Lock-Patrick Mahomes comparisons

Drew Lock may wind up being a first-round pick in April, but ESPN analyst Todd McShay has started the pre-draft hyperbole early this year with an aggressive comparison.

Despite leading the SEC in passing yards and leading the FBS in touchdown passes as a junior in 2017, Drew Lock returned for his senior season at Missouri with an eye on getting some NFL tutelage from a new offensive coordinator. He got some, as Derek Dooley came in as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach after spending the previous five seasons as the Dallas Cowboys’ wide receivers coach.

Lock is one of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s draft class, and a potential first-round pick. His first pre-draft showcase for NFL teams is coming this week at the Senior Bowl, where ESPN’s Todd McShay has pointed to him as one of the players to watch.

Pre-draft season is filled with hyperbole, with strained (or convenient) player comparisons a prominent part of that mix. But McShay’s early comp for Lock is aggressive, and quite frankly unfair.

"Big (6-3, 228), athletic and equipped with a strong arm, Lock is a poor man’s Patrick Mahomes. It was his first year in a pro-style offense, as well as his first season making pre-snap checks and kills, setting protections and making full-field progression reads, and it took him some time to catch up mentally. Lock still needs to be more consistent with his decision-making under pressure and his accuracy, which stems from inconsistent footwork. But there’s no denying his talent. He is the most naturally gifted of the Senior Bowl quarterbacks, and I think he has the most to gain during the week."

It’s not hyperbole to say Mahomes is one of most uniquely talented quarterbacks we’ve ever seen, with incredible throws on the move and throws from unreal arm angles in seemingly every game. Lock does move around well, as partially evidenced by six rushing touchdowns during his senior season, and he improved his completion rate to nearly 63 percent during his final season at Missouri.

Without that improved accuracy, and the broader improvement he made during his college career, we may be talking about Lock similarly to Josh Allen at this time last year as a quarterback with a big, scattershot, arm.

As shown above by Zac Robinson of Pro Football Focus, Lock has shown the ability to make off-platform throws and make significant plays off-schedule. That invites the comparison to Mahomes, since those things are a significant part of his repertoire and a big part of how the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense has reached a new level.

Lock may go on to have a long, successful NFL career, and McShay’s early comparison to Mahomes may be forgotten quickly anyway. But if you thought you had to wait a little bit for the pre-draft hyperbole to start, at least beyond 24 hours after conference championship Sunday was completed, one of ESPN’s draft analysts has come to the rescue.