Redskins: 3 quarterbacks to watch at the 2019 NFL Combine

I’m going to cheat here, since we’ve talked about Drew Lock and Daniel Jones in the same breath, for the most part, this offseason.

Both quarterbacks have a lot to prove at the 2019 NFL Combine; on most draft boards, Lock and Jones are a safe cushion behind Dwayne Haskins and Kyler Murray, in third and fourth place. The combine is the best chance both quarterbacks have to break out of their current hierarchy.

Both quarterbacks should test well athletically; the biggest thing for both signal callers might, in fact, be the throwing drills. For Drew Lock, improvement with footwork (against zero pressure) will be key toward showing teams he’s improving, while for Daniel Jones, hitting all of the open throws matters. The limitations of his arm have been put into question, and if he can throw accurately to all levels of the field, he’ll at least quell some of the negative talk.

Interviews will also be important for both of these quarterbacks. For Lock, interviews will allow him to double down on the reputation he’s forged for himself as a good leader at the next level, while Jones needs to use the interview process to get rid of the sour taste the Senior Bowl left in some people’s mouths, regarding a personality that was described as prickly and Eli Manning-like at times.

If Jones and Lock show out well in the NFL Combine, they can convince teams that they’re worth picking in the first round. Quarterback-needy teams want to have their confirmation bias supported in spurts, so as long as Long and Jones perform well, through testing and technique work, they can change teams’ opinions this week.