Drew Lock’s slide ends, taken by Denver in second round of NFL Draft

After sliding out of the first round on Thursday night, Drew Lock’s wait in Nashville is over.

With the 42nd pick in the draft, the Denver Broncos took Lock as its quarterback of the future.

Just like we all predicted, huh? Denver picked Lock after trading up with Cincinnati, giving the Broncos back-to-back picks. With the 41st pick, the Broncos selected Kansas State OT Dalton Risner — who, coincidentally, was also recruited by Missouri in the same class as Lock, before committing to Kansas State.

It’s a bittersweet moment for Lock, who followed in his father’s footsteps to play football at Missouri, becoming a four-year starter for the Tigers during a tumultuous time in Mizzou history. But ever since the lanky two-sport star began turning heads at Lee’s Summit High School as a freshman, the NFL Draft drew more into focus.

Lock was a four-star recruit out of high school with offers from schools like Oklahoma, Tennessee and Michigan; he chose the Tigers in April of his junior year of high school and was the centerpiece in the 2015 recruiting class. The nation’s 177th-ranked player, he was the third-highest quarterback to sign with Missouri in the recruiting-service era, behind Blaine Gabbert and James Franklin.

Forced into starting duty as a freshman, Lock overcame those first-year struggles to become the second-most prolific passing quarterback in Missouri history.

He finished his career with 12,193 passing yards, 99 touchdowns and 39 interceptions. He set the SEC record with 44 passing touchdowns in the 2017 season; he ranks second in SEC history in career passing yards and third in career passing touchdowns.

Lock’s slide out of the first round was truly stunning — about as equally stunning as Daniel Jones going sixth overall to the New York Giants. But Lock has made a habit out of proving doubters wrong; he’ll get the same opportunity to do that with Broncos.