10 NFL quarterbacks feeling the most pressure in 2020

8. Drew Lock, Denver Broncos

If Drew Lock played more than just the five games he did during his rookie year in 2019 than he would be higher up on this list in all likelihood. He receives somewhat of a pass for dealing with injury and only playing for such a short time.

Although, that pass does not mean we can’t evaluate his play or make predictions. Lock did play well, and he validated some of the belief that he has the potential to be a star.

As mentioned, Lock played in only five games late in the season for the Denver Broncos. He returned from injury and won four of those five games, throwing for 1,020 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions.

Winning games and moving the ball well are sure indications for any rookie quarterback. And, if you needed any indication that John Elway liked what he saw, just look at what the team did this offseason.

Elway molded this offense around his young quarterback. Courtland Sutton, Noah Fant, and Phillip Lindsay were already in the room. He then drafted Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler and signed Melvin Gordon as a free agent.

The front office built one of the more explosive, young offenses in the league this past offseason. Now, the person who carries most of the burden of how well that works is Lock.

Lock’s situation nearly mirrors the spot Baker Mayfield was in heading into last season. A young quarterback who sold his fan base and the team that he is the one, and now a team that is expected to win has been assembled around him.

Now, this Broncos team isn’t projected to do what the Cleveland Browns were slated to do before last season, but there will still be pressure on Lock to ensure Elway made the right decision with building around him.