Paxton Lynch Declares for 2016 NFL Draft: Latest Comments and Reaction

The race to be the top quarterback in the 2016 draft just got more interesting Thursday after Paxton Lynch announced at a press conference he'll forgo his senior season and head to the NFL.  

Tom Schad of the Commercial Appeal provided video of Lynch's announcement:

Lynch was a three-year starter for the Memphis Tigers, steadily improving with each season. He seriously entered the draft discussion as a sophomore, throwing for 3,031 yards, 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions. His stock then exploded this year as a result of his performance and Memphis' overall success. Lynch finished 2015 with 3,778 yards, 28 touchdowns and four interceptions.

At least at this stage, many fans and draft experts consider Jared Goff the best QB prospect in this year's draft class. In his November midseason rankings, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller put Goff at No. 1 but had Lynch right behind him at No. 2.

The draft process is fluid, and seeing Lynch take the top spot or fall out of a first-round grade altogether wouldn't be surprising. When the 2013 season ended, almost nobody pegged Blake Bortles as the first quarterback in the 2014 draft, while Teddy Bridgewater was the assumed No. 1 but instead went No. 32 in the first round.

Speaking on The Rich Eisen Show (via NFL.com's Chase Goodbread) in November, NFL Network's Mike Mayock compared Lynch to a former Super Bowl MVP.

"His tape against Ole Miss is intriguing," Mayock said. "He's got a good arm, I don't think it's elite, (and) he's athletic for 6-7. He reminds me of Joe Flacco athletically. Good arm, good release. He has to hasten the process a little bit."

The MMQB's Peter King took the comparison one step further:

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One personnel man whose team will be in the market for a quarterback next spring told me last week Lynch reminds him of a bigger Ben Roethlisberger at this point of their college careers. Lynch is 6-7 and 245 pounds. Roethlisberger was 6-5 and 241 coming out of Miami (Ohio). Both with big arms. We’re five-and-a-half months away from the draft, so it’s ridiculously early to make any judgments. But Lynch has scouts fascinated.

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Like Bortles did a few years ago, Lynch will have to deal with critics questioning whether his skills were inflated by playing in a non-Power Five conference. However, he went 39-of-53 for 384 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in the upset of then-No. 13 Ole Miss on Oct. 17.

Lynch has all the tools to become a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback in a few years: above-average arm strength, impressive accuracy, ability to scramble out of the pocket and a prototypical frame. The player Lynch could be in a few years will likely entice some team to spend an early first-rounder on him come April.