NFL Draft Preview: Paxton Lynch

Paxton Lynch has been undervalued his entire football career. Coming out of Trinity Christian Academy in Deltona, Florida, he was under recruited and left to Memphis to play for Justin Fuente and the Tigers. Now, heading into Thursday’s NFL Draft, he is considered by many draft experts to be the third best quarterback in his class. Though, that might not prevent Lynch from landing in the top ten.

With the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles on top of the draft board, it is widely expected that Jared Goff and Carson Wentz will be the first two players to be drafted. After the first two picks, teams like the Cowboys, Broncos, Bears, and Jets are all possible landing spots for the three-year starter at Memphis. Lynch’s agent, Leigh Steinberg, expects all three quarterbacks to be selected early in the first round.

Steinberg is no stranger to representing highly touted prospects. He has represented the most No. 1 overall picks in NFL Draft history with eight. Without a doubt, he would love Lynch to go either one or two in the draft. Steinberg is confidant, however, that Lynch will surely be the next quarterback off the board if he is not in the top two.

The common trait in all three of the top quarterbacks in this year’s draft is height. Lynch towers at six foot seven, Wentz at six foot six, and Goff at six foot four. Though, Lynch showed the most athleticism at the combine even though he is the tallest of the bunch. He ran a 4.86 in the 4o-yard dash and jumped the highest in the vertical and broad jump.

Traits he has shown on film that neither Wentz nor Goff have shown are the ability to throw on the run and to change the arm angle of his release. You combine that with his athleticism and you have a star in the making. One thing Steinberg reminds us all is that every quarterback coming out of college needs to be given time to develop.

.@wingoz & @jawsespn put @PaxtonLynch through a skills test including frozen footballs and a Hail Mary challenge. https://t.co/F3fROpfa3z

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) April 22, 2016

The 2016 NFL Draft can be followed on ESPN Gainesville 95.3 FM on Thursday starting at 7 p.m.