Should the Broncos Throw Paxton Lynch Into the Fire?

In a quarterback-friendly system, surrounded by talent, making Paxton Lynch the day-one starter isn’t all that crazy.

No Manning. No Osweiler. No Kaepernick.

No Problem?

Well, not exactly, but the Denver Broncos seem to have found a sufficient answer to their quarterback conundrum.

Enter Mark Sanch—

Wait, scratch that.

Enter rookie Paxton Lynch.

The No. 26 overall pick in the NFL Draft and the newest member of the Broncos, Lynch has all the goods necessary to succeed in the league.

An athletic, mobile quarterback standing at 6-foot-7, the Memphis product possesses a cannon for an arm and was one of the most accurate passers in college football last year. There seemingly isn’t a throw he can’t make and routinely proved so as a Tiger.

Earlier in the month on May 6, head coach Gary Kubiak expressed high praise for his young signal-caller.

"“Obviously big, strong, talented young man,” Kubiak said. “He throws the ball very well. I was impressed with the fact that—obviously he’s going under center full time today and doing those types of things. We’ve got a long way to go. It’s exciting to see a kid like that and what he can become.”"

Like Kubiak said, Lynch has a ways to go, and he obviously isn’t without his flaws. Among other criticisms, the majority of the play calls at Memphis came from the sideline and he lined up mainly in shotgun, each inhibiting his ability to develop a well-rounded skillset.

Regardless, by the time preseason action begins, will Mark Sanchez really be that better of an option?

While it’s hard to predict how far along Lynch will have gotten by that time, you’ve got to like his chances of possibly being penciled in above Sanchez.

Denver’s offensive system under Kubiak and offensive coordinator Rick Dennison doesn’t ask much of its quarterbacks. Lynch will be told repeatedly to make simple reads and to not force any throws.

He won’t have to be the hero this season, and there’s no need considering how talented the team is on both sides of the ball. A rookie quarterback’s best friends are his running backs and defense, areas the Broncos are stacked in.

And did I mention Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders – his top targets on offense – have combined for over 5,000 receiving yards and 32 touchdowns over the past two seasons?

No quarterback in the draft ended up in a more ideal landing spot than Lynch. While still relatively raw, some believe he’s closer to seeing the field than previously thought, including general manager John Elway.

Here’s what he told Dave Logan and Susie Wargin of Denver Sports 760 on May 6 about his 22-year-old first round selection:

"“We look at Pax as a guy who really has the potential to be a long-time starter and a very good quarterback in this league who can be a guy we can build around for the future,” Elway said. “Is that going to happen tomorrow? Probably not, but you never know when it can happen. We think he’s going to be ready quicker than a lot of people think.”"

It sounds like if everything goes according to plan, Lynch may just be the guy lining up under center come the Broncos season opener, not Sanchez.

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There’ll be a steep rookie learning curve, but it’s not as outlandish of a thought. Despite believing that it’s his destiny to be in Denver, Sanchez doesn’t instill a ton of confidence, evidenced by his career 86:84 touchdown-interception ratio.

So go ahead, John, toss ‘Pax’ straight into the fire.

Because if his current situation is what’s considered a true fire these days, then I’m all for it.

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Should the Denver Broncos Throw Paxton Lynch Into the Fire?

By Kyle Sumner McKinnon | May 18, 2016

In a quarterback-friendly system, surrounded by talent, making Paxton Lynch the day-one starter isn’t all that crazy.

More from NFL Mocks