The New York Jets have not had an amazing offseason thus far and could be in the market for a starting quarterback. Ryan Fitzpatrick is still testing free agency, and there is no guarantee that the Jets will be able to re-sign him. If they aren’t able to bring him back, a quarterback in the draft would make perfect sense.
Paxton Lynch could be available when the Jets come on the clock with the No. 20 overall pick and would be an ideal pick for them.
At this point in time, there is no telling where Lynch’s stock currently is after the draft workouts. He was considered to be a potential No. 1 overall pick early on in the process, but that doesn’t appear to be the case anymore. Even though he has dropped a bit, Lynch still has plenty of potential to be a long-term star in the NFL if he reaches his full potential.
Matt Miller of Bleacher Report currently has the Jets taking Lynch with the No. 20 pick, and he could be the long-term franchise quarterback that they are in desperate need of finding.
Last season with the Memphis Tigers, Lynch ended up completing an impressive 66.8 percent of his pass attempts for 3,776 yards, 28 touchdowns, and just four interceptions. He has an excellent head on his shoulders and showed great ability to read opposing defenses. That is something that every NFL quarterback must have, and that will intrigue teams like the Jets in the middle or later part of the first round.
Standing in at 6-foot-7 and weighing 245 pounds, Lynch has drawn comparisons to both Joe Flacco and Ben Roethlisberger . Those comparisons are intriguing to say the least, but he has to work extremely hard in order to get to that level.
No team can survive in the AFC East without a star quarterback, and the Jets could be getting something special in Lynch. They would prefer either Jared Goff or Carson Wentz, but Lynch is worth the gamble if he’s still available when New York comes on the clock.
Lynch has shown an impressive work ethic throughout his tenure with Memphis. He continually showed improvement and was able to lead the Tigers to a very successful 2015 season. Being able to earn the media’s attention while playing for a team like Memphis isn’t easy, which speaks to the level that Lynch played at all season long.
All of that being said, the Jets have quite a few decisions to make about what position they need to target the most in the first round of the draft.
New York still has holes to fill on both sides of the football outside of the quarterback position. If they are unable to bring Fitzpatrick back, they could still decide to go with a free agent. Johnny Manziel likely wouldn’t be a player that the franchise would bring on board, but would certainly be a player of interest.
It will be very intriguing to follow the Jets and Lynch as the draft moves forward in the first round. He is going to be one of the more talked-about prospects, but there will be questions throughout the entire draft until he is finally taken. There is a chance that Lynch could fall out of the first round, but there is also the chance that he could be drafted before the Jets even get on the clock.
Expect to hear plenty of rumors about the Jets as the draft continues to approach, and don’t be shocked to hear Lynch’s name brought up more in those rumors.
Do you think Paxton Lynch could become a long-term franchise quarterback for the New York Jets? Is he the type of quarterback that could get the Jets back into Super Bowl contention?
[Photo by AP Photo/Mark Humphrey]
