Fansided
Fansided

Paxton Lynch Would Fit Best With This NFL Team

By Erik Lambert

Dec 30, 2015; Birmingham, AL, USA; Memphis Tigers quarterback Paxton Lynch (12) drops back to pass against Auburn Tigers in the 2015 Birmingham Bowl at Legion Field. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2015; Birmingham, AL, USA; Memphis Tigers quarterback Paxton Lynch (12) drops back to pass against Auburn Tigers in the 2015 Birmingham Bowl at Legion Field. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Most experts have developed a consensus about one thing headed towards the 2016 NFL draft in April.  The race for being the first quarterback off the board has shrunk to a two-man race between Jared Goff of Cal and Carson Wentz of North Dakota State.  It’s the classic narrative.  The more pro-ready passer against the physical upside.  Everything depends on what teams picking at the top want more.

However, this argument has made it easy to overlook the wild card in the situation.  What is going to happen to Paxton Lynch?  The Memphis quarterback quietly put together a solid outing at the scouting combine.  He showed his athleticism in the vertical (36 inches) and broad jumps (9.83 feet) before showcasing his upside as a passer in the throwing drills.

At 6’7″ he has ideal height and is drawing comparisons to Joe Flacco given his strong arm and the fact he’s coming from a small school.  His physical upside and ability to read defenses are big pluses.  It’s just a matter of figuring out where he fits in the 1st round.  Presuming Goff and Wentz go in the top 10 as expected, chances are Cleveland, Dallas and San Francisco will have been involved.

The 49ers were recently connected to Michigan State standout Connor Cook though, so odds are they might be out of the mix.  The next logical team up after them would be New Orleans.  Yes, the Chicago Bears can be considered but they seem comfortable riding it out with Jay Cutler.  The Saints have Drew Brees, who is 37-years old.  Chances are they’d jump at the chance to grab Goff or Wentz.

That brings up Philadelphia into the conversation for Lynch, but they seem dead set on re-signing Sam Bradford, leaving the door wide open for the team that makes the most sense:  the Los Angeles Rams.

Everything fits.  The team needs a quarterback after their failed experiments of the past few years.  Drafting one in the 1st round would excite the fans in Los Angeles, which is good for business.  Most importantly though, Lynch would fall under the guidance of an experienced coaching staff with a dominant running game led by Todd Gurley.

If any team were prepared to receive and nurture a rookie quarterback it’s them.

Home/NFL Draft