Quarterback Drew Lock
Q. How close do you feel this team is to pushing through that door and being a winner?
DREW LOCK: This team is really talented; I think on both sides of the ball. The defense, going up against those guys every day, Brian, Dex, it's a good, good squad over there. Especially coming over on our side, I don't think there's a position we lack. I think it's a really good team. I'm excited to be here. Each day I get to come out here someone's been surprising me. It's been fun. It's been fun to get to know these guys, do a good job in the locker room too. It's a team that sticks around all day. You don't feel like guys are getting out. Guys are in there hanging out, and it's been easy to get to know everybody because of it. It's been nice.
Q. Drew, how have you been balancing learning this offense as well as contributing to helping the young receivers and fellow quarterbacks and whatnot?
DREW LOCK: I kind of feel like I'm old now, year six. Learning the offense, this is going to be, I think, my fourth one so far. So I feel like I have a good process of like how I want to attack a playbook and attack these days right now, which makes it easier to be able to help those guys and be able to talk to the receivers. And not just the young guys, but I'm out here running these guys with guys that I haven't thrown too much. So try to figure out what they were thinking on this, what I was thinking, and just trying to develop some chemistry.
Q. What is your initial impression of Daboll's offense and having him sort of in your ear?
DREW LOCK: Yeah, it's a lot of fun. First offensive head coach, so that's been fun. We were going with the wind today for a period, so not something I'm used to. It's been fun to have him in my headset. You can tell he's been doing it for a long time. Great reminders, and good tips, but not too much. Not too much to get you bogged down on what he just said. It's just good tips and reminders. The offense, there's a lot to it, but it's been fun to learn, and I can see how you can be really successful in it.
Q. Did you have any interaction with him, like when you came to the Draft, did you do anything with the Bills?
DREW LOCK: Yeah, I talked to Shea. I didn't talk to Coach Daboll. They had drafted Josh the year before, and Shea even talked to me about it. We were in there. Towards the end, I kind of had a feeling that Shea was just a normal guy. We were talking, we were chilling. Shea, do you talk to everybody because you guys just drafted Josh Allen? I'm going to be respectful and have my conversation and tell you everything I know, but there's no way you're picking me right now (laughter). I kind of had an interaction with him, but, no, I think they kind of had their guy.
Q. Was it at the Senior Bowl?
DREW LOCK: I forget if it was at the Senior Bowl or the train station room at the Combine. So, I've kind of had interactions, but not too much.
Q. How much attention did you pay to the Giants doing all their homework on this year's rookie quarterback class because, if they drafted one, obviously that would have affected not only Daniel's spot on the depth chart but yours?
DREW LOCK: Not too much. I've had plenty of pre-draft stuff, I'd say my first couple of years I listened to it. Then when nothing I heard came true, I was like, okay, we're going to let that be. I wish I had not listened to it those years, but now I'm past it. I'm confident in who I am and the place I decided to come to, and I really like it.
Q. Do you think there's a part where all rookies have to realize I've got to block that noise out? Have you reached that point? Did you wish you had that coming in as a pro?
DREW LOCK: I would say the whole Draft noise was new because you know who the recruits are coming into college. The media noise, I feel like -- I tell this story. In my first game at Missouri, we played South Carolina, and we won. I was just soaking it all in. It said the 20-plus on the notification thing, and I couldn't believe it. Then the next game we played Florida, it was not good (laughter), and I still had 20-plus. I read into that. That point forward, it's like, okay, we've got to separate this. This is not important, not good for my mental, and no more. That's why I feel like I kind of stay out of the whole mix of things and worry about what plays I've got to work on instead.
Q. How much did you know Daniel before coming here, same age and all that stuff? And then what have you learned about him since?
DREW LOCK: Daniel, we were roommates at the Senior Bowl. We were with Gruden and the Raiders that Senior Bowl, so I got to know him there a little bit. I tried to stay up as late as he did studying the playbook, it's like, crap, I've got to go to bed, buddy. You going to have to turn the light off, but -- He's been great to be around. Super smart guy obviously. Doesn't get to where he's at without playing a lot of good football and knowing a lot. It's been a lot of fun to be with him in that room, especially since he's taken the seven-on-seven reps. He has time to really help us in there. It's been cool. We still go in. We watch the tape after. He runs it. We talk through the plays. It's really cool. I appreciate how much he's been helping us in there, including myself.
Q. You've had a lot of -- played with a lot of good receivers in your career. What's your early impression of Malik Nabers?
DREW LOCK: Yeah, he's going to be good. He's going to be really good. His work ethic is there. That's the one thing I feel like quarterbacks probably look at. How hard is this guy going to work? How hard is he going to study? How many MAs did he have in that first practice where everything being thrown at him? And he's checked all those boxes.
Got to keep it rolling, but he has the potential to be very good.
Q. How patient can you be knowing that you want to be a starting quarterback in this league, correct?
DREW LOCK: Of course. How patient can I be?
Q. Yeah.
DREW LOCK: Shoot, three years I wasn't a starting quarterback. I was patient then. I know how to be a backup and just be ready if and when your time comes. As a backup, you hope it never comes. You hope your team is playing good football, and you hope Daniel stays healthy. But do everything you can to be ready. When that time comes, just make the best of it.
Q. You're already popular with Giants fans, some of whom are down on Daniel. What are your thoughts on the backup quarterback being the most popular guy in town?
DREW LOCK: I wouldn't say that. I would say I appreciate the people who respect my game and know what I can do, but you're the backup, and you're here to help Daniel.
Q. What has this opportunity done for you to get this many reps now? I know that's kind of what you were looking for initially. Then also how do you feel like you've done?
DREW LOCK: It's been huge. I know what it's like to not get a ton of reps in OTAs and kind of feel your way through, not throw to the number one receivers, and then when you get out there in week 11, you're throwing to DK and Tyler for kind of the first time that year. So being able to just have those reps under your belt definitely builds confidence going into the year. Like I said, you hope the time doesn't come, but if it does, you feel like you're ready. You've been with the guys in the huddle. They know your face. They know your cadence. They know how you operate. Just makes you feel more comfortable going into the year.
Q. What did that Monday night game do for your confidence last year in December?
DREW LOCK: I think it did a lot. Like I said after that interview after, we went to San Fran, and it was the first time I played in what I felt like a long time, and kind of got the Juices flowing. It was like I could still go ahead and do this. Went out there Monday night, I kind of just felt like you were back in high school playing football with your buddies. I've got a game under my belt with these guys, and just go out and play, go out and be you. Yeah, it definitely builds some confidence. I'm going to keep that going forward. I know I can do it. It is what it is. Whenever that time comes, if it comes, I'll be ready.
