If you were undecided about Drew Lock’s NFL prospects, you probably weren’t after Wednesday night.

He struggled to sense pressure, he made errant throws and he forced passes that weren’t there in an ugly Missouri loss to Texas at the Texas Bowl in Houston. For the “Lock needs to stay another year” crowd, it was the exact game they sought to support their argument.

I’ll agree to disagree with those people.

When I watched Lock struggle against the nation’s No. 107 passing defense, I didn’t see an NFL quarterback. Yet. That’s the key word.

We tend to assume that all quarterbacks who enter the NFL need to be sure-fire first-round picks. If not, they should go back to school to become one. That was the case that the ESPN broadcast crew made for Lock’s future. In all likelihood, will make that case for Lock until that decision is made.

But the big picture surrounding Missouri’s effort on Wednesday night actually revealed the exact reason why Lock should turn pro.

Lock turned the ball over twice and barely completed more than half of his passes (18-for-34), but no one could deny that talent. Or if they did, perhaps they missed this dime.

By the way, Longhorns coach Tom Herman definitely mocked that celebration later. Big time.

We can get into the ethics of a 42-year-old coach mocking a college athlete another time, but for now, let’s get back to the guy Herman seemed transfixed on. After all, his defense did everything in its power to rally the “Lock is overrated” contingency.

Those people probably didn’t care to point out that Lock was playing his first game with Joe Jon Finley calling plays. With former Missouri offensive coordinator Josh Heupel off to Orlando after accepting the head coaching job at UCF, Wednesday was a new experience for Lock. Obviously, it didn’t go well.

Some Missouri fans might’ve been more upset with Finley and the playcalling than they were with Herman. Finley insisted on pounding the rock early and dialing up low-upside bubble screens. Besides Lock’s aforementioned touchdown pass, there were few quality opportunities downfield.

If you recall, Lock said Missouri’s new offensive coordinator will be a big factor in his decision to stay or go. Wednesday night should’ve served as a reminder that there’s no guarantee — at all — that the Tigers’ new offensive coordinator will take Lock’s game to the next level. In fact, odds are that Lock’s production would dip as a result of that learning curve.

So consider where Lock is now — a likely mid-round QB pick at worst — and where he could be next year. Let’s say his numbers dip from his SEC record 43 touchdown passes (they likely would’ve even with Heupel back). How many senior quarterbacks then make a leap to the first round? That rarely happens, if ever.

There’s also the tendency to break down quarterbacks who are household names. Even after Wednesday night’s lackluster performance, Lock will still be one of the top quarterbacks in the country in 2018, and he’d be in the spotlight for many. Even guys as talented as Josh Rosen and Sam Darnold — neither of whom were eligible for the 2017 NFL draft — have been picked apart endlessly this season.

The same would be true for Lock.

Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

We often forget how it takes the perfect marriage to make a high-powered offense. It takes a quarterback who can make all the throws, a line that can provide protection, receivers who don’t drop passes (Missouri only has a few of those) and a play-caller who understands how to make it all work.

Missouri didn’t have that against Texas. It might not have that in 2018. It definitely had that in the second half of 2017 when Lock led the Tigers to blowout victories and climbed up draft boards.

Drew Lock had one touchdown pass against Texas, extending his nation-leading total to 44 TDs.

This isn’t just about what Dan Patrick or Jordan Rodgers said. This is about understanding value and trusting that shortcomings could be fixed at the NFL level. There’s certainly no guarantee they can be fixed in college, either. To think that Lock will only improve as a quarterback if he stays in school and rolls the dice on a new offensive coordinator is a bit ridiculous.

The Tigers were an offensive mess on Wednesday night. That didn’t take away how good they were down the stretch in 2017, nor should it have taken away from how much promise Lock showed.

Lock’s dilemma will keep Missouri fans on the edges of their seats. He has until Jan. 15 to make up his mind officially.

That’ll give him plenty of time to go back and look at the tape from the Texas Bowl. It should’ve revealed something fairly obvious — the time for Lock to leave for the NFL is now.

Oh, and that Herman still has some growing up to do.