Pickin Up Some Licks (Lick Picking?)

Just watched a couple of phenomenal guitar instructional videos by Mark Knofler. I don't think he even intends them the be "instructional" but I'm discovering that the more carefully you listen,  the more you can hear going on. I've been trying to play one of the blues riffs he demonstrates - expect to hear it in the next Brian Blain composition. Did I mention that I never had a guitar lesson in my life (though I did have a teacher for string bass when I was 14-15).