Drew Lock will face significant hurdles without Ja’Wuan James

The loss of Ja’Wuan James is going to be tough on Drew Lock’s development.

On Monday, Denver Broncos right tackle Ja’Wuan James decided to opt out of the 2020 season. While the most important consideration for any player in safety and health in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the on-field loss is a major blow for the AFC West rival of the Chiefs.

The Broncos came into the 2020 offseason with a clear goal of keeping up with the Joneses—those Joneses being code for “the Kansas City Chiefs offense.”

One thing was clear to the Broncos in 2019: the Chiefs are built to dominate and stopping them outright is not an option. By relying on a new defensive head coach in Vic Fangio and remaining pieces of a Super Bowl contender, the Broncos fell flatter than ever in their attempts to beat the Chiefs. In fact, they lost by a greater margin than any time in the rivals’ history as the Broncos were held to a total of 9 points in two games.

This offseason, the Broncos added wide receivers like Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler in the NFL Draft, which will greatly improve their ability to spread the field. They also signed running back Melvin Gordon which will strengthen the backfield and give Lock another option as a solid pass catcher.

Up front, the Broncos were hoping James would return from injury to provide a pillar at right tackle as they hoped other imports would solve their interior woes. Graham Glasgow was signed in free agency, and Lloyd Cushenberry was added in the draft, giving them two new likely starters among three interior spots.

However, it’s on the outside that an opposing team is able to establish their pass rush and left tackle Garrett Bolles has looked woefully undermanned against the likes of Frank Clark in the past. The Chiefs already have Chris Jones disrupting in the middle and now the loss of James on the outside only exacerbates the problem of a lack of talent and depth at bookend.

It’s possible the Broncos could slide a player like Dalton Risner outside but he excelled at left guard as a rookie and he gives the Broncos their best overall performer at that spot. Backups on the roster include Jake Rodgers and Calvin Anderson. Former undrafted free agents Hunter Watts and Quinn Bailey are also present. In other words, the Broncos are likely to make a move in free agency.

James signed a four year deal worth up to $51 million just last offseason but played only three games in 2019 due to knee injuries.