Paxton Lynch, Gary Kubiak Discuss QB's Performance at Broncos' Rookie Minicamp

Paxton Lynch thought he was all right in his first practice as an NFL quarterback at the Denver Broncos' rookie minicamp Friday.

The Broncos' new rookie signal-caller took part in his first pro practice since the reigning Super Bowl champions drafted him with the 26th overall pick in April, and the former Memphis Tigers quarterback thought his performance was "decent."

“It was my first time throwing in a while to real receivers," he said, per Mike Klis of KUSA in Denver. "Obviously our timing is going to be off. I’m learning the footwork, and they are learning their steps, so it’s going to be a little different, but I thought I threw pretty well.”

Player	Passing Yards	Passing Touchdowns	Interceptions	Games
Mark Sanchez	15,126	86	84	75
Paxton Lynch	0	0	0	0
Trevor Siemian	0	0	0	1

The Broncos moved up five spots to grab Lynch and ensure they had a quarterback to groom. Peyton Manning retired after winning Super Bowl 50, and Brock Osweiler spurned Denver to sign a deal with the Houston Texans earlier in the offseason.

Lynch is a work in progress at quarterback, but Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak likes the potential that comes with the 6'7" rookie.

“Obviously big, strong, talented young man,” Kubiak said, per Klis. “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.”

Lynch said he has some familiarity with Kubiak's offense after learning a similar one as a freshman at Memphis. Kubiak understands he needs to have patience but thinks his rookie quarterback can pick up the system quickly.

The other quarterback in the fold in Denver is Mark Sanchez, whom the Broncos acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles in March. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Sanchez as the starter in Week 1, since he's the veteran, but Kubiak and the Broncos will wait to see how Lynch evolves heading into training camp.

“I’m excited to graduate as well as being a first-round draft pick for the Denver Broncos,” Lynch said, per Klis. “I’ve had a pretty busy two weeks.”

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