After trading the 31st and 94th overall picks to move up to 26th overall, the Denver Broncos got their quarterback of the future in Paxton Lynch. This was the most logical quarterback for the Broncos, especially in the first round.
The Broncos were linked to him in the months leading up to the draft, and those reports were certainly confirmed with the trade. Here are five things you need to know about the addition of the newest franchise quarterback of the Denver Broncos:
Physically, Lynch is Brock Osweiler 2.0
At 6-foot-7, 245 pounds, Lynch is just as big as Osweiler and just as physically gifted. The pick shows that Elway certainly has an ideal type of quarterback — big. Elway wasted no time adding a potential franchise quarterback after losing Peyton Manning to retirement and Osweiler in free agency.
Lynch is by no means the starter this year
Called a “project” by many, Lynch has a lot of talent, but a lot of room to go before starting in the NFL. He’s a redshirt junior coming out of American Athletic Conference, so he has not faced premier talent in college.
If the Broncos do not bring anyone else in to compete, Mark Sanchez, Trevor Siemien and Lynch will battle it out for the starting job this year. At this point, Sanchez looks to start for the Super Bowl champions as they take on the Carolina Panthers on opening night.
This puts an end to the Colin Kaepernick talk
With a veteran quarterback, Sanchez, poised to lead the team during Lynch’s development, the Broncos no longer need Kaepernick. Elway addressed this in his post-draft press conference, confirming that Kaepernick was not coming to Denver.
“We’re probably over with Kaepernick,” said Elway.
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Lynch is a great fit for the Gary Kubiak offense
With his size, strength and mobility, Lynch fits in perfectly in Coach Kubiak’s bootleg offense. At Memphis, Lynch had 31 touchdowns through the air and 15 on the ground, showing off his mobility through more than just bootlegs.
Along with his mobility, his excellent arm strength allows him to hit the deep ball, something the Broncos offense lacked the past few years.
The only problem with Lynch is he didn’t played in a pro-style offense at Memphis, where the quarterback is in the gun. Lynch, however, made it known to the media that he feels comfortable under center.
“I wouldn’t say I am a project,” Lynch said. “Obviously every quarterback coming out of college, we have stuff that they need to work on. I don’t think any quarterback is ready so I guess you could say every quarterback is a project when they first get in. There are some good quarterbacks on the roster right now and I know there will be good competition between all of us.”
Lynch is an improving commodity
After throwing only 9 touchdowns to 10 interceptions his redshirt freshman year, Lynch progressed every year, finishing his last season at Memphis with 28 touchdowns to only 4 interceptions. His value and potential is certainly trending up; the Broncos just hope that this can continue from the AAC to the NFL.
Tonight, the Broncos added their potential franchise quarterback for the next decade. As a quarterback on the Super Bowl championship team, Denver will become very familiar with Paxton Lynch in the months and years to come.