In this Dec. 30, 2015, file photo, Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch (12) throws a pass during the first half of the Birmingham Bowl NCAA college football game against Auburn in Birmingham, Ala. (Butch Dill, The Associated Press)
General manager John Elway and the Broncos certainly made a bold move when they moved up to pick Paxton Lynch with the No. 26 pick in the NFL draft.
More than 80 percent of readers who voted on a denverpost.com poll felt that Lynch is the Broncos’ quarterback of the future. NFL reporter Troy Renck writes Lynch has a “big arm with quick release, can make people miss and competes with passion.”
How did the rest of the country feel about the Broncos’ first-round selection? Here’s a look at what the national media wrote:
From ESPN’s Steve Muench:
At just under 6-foot-7 and 244 pounds, Lynch has one of the strongest arms and highest ceilings in this class. He’s an above-average athlete, showing the ability to extend plays with his mobility and pick up first downs when he scrambles. Lynch lacks polish, though. He played in a scheme that simplified his reads, and he doesn’t always see the entire field despite his height. He fails to locate the open man at times.
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From CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco:
I like the idea of going up to get the franchise passer. John Elway likes big passers and he has another one. Grade: B+
From Bleacher Report’s Mike Tanier:
This is the best possible situation for Lynch. Gary Kubiak’s system is friendly to huge, strong-armed, semimobile guys who can only read one side of the field. Lynch can be that guy. Mark Sanchez is around to handle the chores while Lynch learns some very basic basics. The Denver Broncos defense will provide him some 16-13 victories when he takes the helm. Lynch has a better chance of developing in Denver than he would have had in Cleveland or New York.
As for the Broncos, they put themselves in such a desperate situation that they had to trade up to select an extremely long-range, moderately high-risk project at quarterback. Lynch could be as good as or better than Brock Osweiler in three years. But the Broncos may spend three years wondering why they didn’t just pay Osweiler for three years to stay in the thick of the Super Bowl picture. Grade: C
From USA Today’s Nate Davis:
GM John Elway vaulted up five spots to finally secure the presumed successor for Peyton Manning. At 6-7, 244 pounds, Lynch has size similar to departed Denver QB Brock Osweiler but is an even better athlete. Expect Lynch to marinate behind newly acquired veteran Mark Sanchez in the short run. But even when he is deemed ready to play — and his mobility makes him a great fit for Gary Kubiak’s offense, which often puts the quarterback on the move — Lynch won’t have to assume a huge burden on a defensively oriented team that also runs the ball well.
From Sports Illustrated’s Doug Farrar:
After losing Brock Osweiler to the Texans in free agency, the Broncos traded up with the Seahawks to take the most Osweiler-y quarterback in this draft class. Lynch stands 6′ 7″ and weighs 235 pounds, but he’s very mobile, and his familiarity with boot action concepts makes him a perfect fit for what Gary Kubiak wants to do. Lynch may need a year or so to learn the complexities of the NFL game, but he might take an accelerated track with a somewhat simplified version of the Broncos’ scheme. Grade: B+
From The New York Times’ Benjamin Hoffman:
The Broncos love tall quarterbacks. They replaced 6 foot 8 Brock Osweiler with 6 foot 7 Paxton Lynch out of Memphis.
Still a somewhat raw talent, Lynch was the best quarterback left on the board and he may be the long-term solution Denver was looking for after Peyton Manning retired and Brock Osweiler left as a free agent.
Lynch was a top-performer in both vertical leap and broad jump and draws some comparisons to Cam Newton even if his game is nowhere near as polished as Newton’s was coming out of college.
In his junior season at Memphis, Lynch passes for 3,778 yards and 28 touchdowns a year after he ran for 13 touchdowns, showing off his dual-threat ability.
Lynch will likely serve some kind of apprenticeship, with Mark Sanchez, or some other veteran, leading the first-team offense, but for a team that has had everyone speculating about their future at quarterback, he’s a legitimate long-term solution.
From Sporting News’ Matt Lutovsky:
If Lynch actually starts for the Broncos this year, he’ll be flanked by two star WRs and a proven running game to help take the pressure off him. It’s tough to expect much from the 6-7 gunslinger this season, but his supporting cast can help him have some big weeks — and a bright future.
