Paxton Lynch NFL Draft 2016: Scouting Report, Grade for Broncos Rookie

POSITIVES

A three-year starter at Memphis, Paxton Lynch is a big, strong quarterback prospect with impressive dual-threat skills. Lynch showed marked improvement in each of his three years, earning first-team All-AAC honors in his final season.

Lynch has impressive quickness for a player of his size. He's nimble in the pocket and easily slides or steps up to evade pressure. When need be, he can pull the ball down and run to pick up plus yardage. On designed runs from the pistol or shotgun, he's fast and strong as a ball-carrier. Lynch's footwork will stand out as a huge positive. He has a balanced, strong base and keeps his feet anchored underneath him at all times. Because of this, he's quick to throw and is able to fire the ball at any time with little setup needed.

Lynch's arm strength and mechanics are promising. He has enough zip to push the ball down the field, but this can be a spotty trait of his because of some inconsistencies in how he loads his legs to throw the ball. Lynch has poor weight transfer at times—he's lazy in shifting from his back foot to his front leg during his motion—and that causes him to lose speed on the ball and accuracy at the same time. This is listed as a positive, though, because there are times when Lynch's arm strength looks fantastic, so the potential is there—his footwork just needs to be fixed.

Lynch doesn't have the tightest motion in his release, but he does have a quick trigger and can whip the ball out in a hurry. He's proved to be a fast thinker on the field and a good decision-maker with the ball. He has been able to test defenses while still protecting the ball (just four interceptions in 2015) and is productive in the red zone given his ability to fit the ball into tight spaces and his capability as a runner.

NEGATIVES

As mentioned above, Lynch's inconsistent footwork as a passer is the first thing that needs to be addressed by NFL coaches. Assuming that can be ironed out, his arm strength will level off above the line.

Lynch's struggles on the field came against his stiffest competition, and that raises question marks about his ability to translate to the NFL. The pressure defenses of Navy and Auburn gave him fits—he completed just 53.2 percent of his passes in those games—as he struggled to read coverages and put the ball in catchable spots for receivers. Overall, accuracy is the biggest reason for concern. He often struggles to lead receivers and will instead throw to the body so his teammates have to adjust to the ball. This led to completions on screens and intermediate passes, which won't be the case in the NFL.

For a talented athlete, Lynch's accuracy and ball placement suffer when he's asked to move his feet. Whether that's on a designed rollout or when he's leaving the pocket, he has to learn to square his hips, core and shoulders to the target. For now, he's erratic when forced to move.

The Memphis offense is the final question mark for Lynch. He wasn't asked to work through multiple progressions, nor was he asked to make decisions at the line of scrimmage. So much of what the Tigers did was a tunnel screen or one-read route, so Lynch had his hand held in terms of decision-making. The transition from Memphis to the NFL is a big one.

COMBINE RESULTS

Height: 6'7"

Weight: 244 lbs.

40 Time: 4.86s

Hand Size: 10¼"

3-Cone: 7.14s

PRO COMPARISON: Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars
FINAL GRADE: 6.90/9.00 (Round 2—Future Starter)