'I'm starting to get a little nervous': Raiders HC Jon Gruden evaluates Drew Lock's progress after coaching him at Senior Bowl

[Miles]

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — A little less than a year ago, Drew Lock got his first taste of what it was like to be in the NFL.


As part of the North team's roster at the Senior Bowl, Lock worked with the Raiders' coaching staff throughout the week. Speaking with Denver media on Thursday, Raiders head coach Jon Gruden said Lock impressed him at that time particularly with how he carried himself as a leader.


"He’s just a likable guy, number one," Gruden said. "I think he’s a very confident, likable young man with talent. He’s got a lot of charisma about him. I think the players like him and I think the players enjoy playing for him because he’s got some natural leadership, and he has fun playing. It’s a really good prospect to have, no doubt."


In a video on the Raiders' website, Gruden further discussed how they worked together and how he and his staff tried to get a sense for Lock's acumen.


"[He's] a very talented kid. ... Came down to Mobile, and our coaching staff — Greg Olson, our coordinator, [and] Tom Cable, our line coach — we put a lot of plays in to try to see what Daniel Jones, of the New York Giants, and [Ryan] Finley, who's with the Bengals, and Drew Lock could do. And he was impressive."


Lock, who was the North team's starting quarterback at the Senior Bowl, completed 9-of-14 passes for 57 yards in the game against other college players.


Looking back at that week and Lock's time at Missouri, Gruden said the young quarterback's experience playing in different schemes has helped him transition to the NFL.


“I’m sure it did," Gruden said. "He played for [University of Missouri Offensive Coordinator] Derek Dooley, who was with the Dallas Cowboys as a receivers coach, so some of the principles that they ran at Missouri are principles that are recognizable in the NFL. He’s not a novice by any stretch. He played for a lot of different coaches — coordinators, I should say — and he got results in every system that he was put in. Heck, I got a chance to coach him in the Senior Bowl and he ran our stuff pretty darn good, too.”