The 2015 NFL regular season is in the books, which means it's time for some real 2016 NFL Draft analysis with legit context, especially with the top 20 picks in the draft, which are now set. Selecting No. 11 overall are the Chicago Bears, and they certainly have a few different ways they can go. However, if they're really focused on the future and taking the best available player, Memphis QB Paxton Lynch may be the way to go.
Don't get me wrong. Incumbent quarterback Jay Cutler was outstanding in 2015 as the starter, taking care of the football and moving an offense that was more often than not without two or three of its top weapons each and every week. But this selection isn't about replacing him.
Memphis' Lynch isn't pro ready. He's not Andrew Luck.
But what he does have is a tremendous amount of potential -- probably the highest ceiling of any quarterback coming out of this 2016 draft class. And the ideal situation for him getting drafted is in fact to go to a team that already has a proven starter who he can learn from and grow behind. This would also be a perfect situation for Cutler, too, as it puts pressure on him to not get complacent, because Chicago fans always love the backup quarterback.
Obviously, this doesn't help the defense at all, and a lot of people anticipate that the Bears would want to continue to build that side of the ball. I don't disagree with that, but this is an opportunity that doesn't come along often, especially in Chicago; and that's the chance to secure the most important position on the team for years to come. Don't forget, too, that the Bears will have a ton of money in free agency to help fill those needs and also the rest of the draft. As we saw from this past draft class, GM Ryan Pace can find productive players in every round of the draft.
Back to Lynch.
Heading into this college football season, Lynch wasn't on many radars as far as being a top-rated quarterback prospect. He showed this year, however, that he's got some major talent.
First and foremost, you notice his size. Lynch is at least 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds by all accounts (official weigh-ins at Combine will be more conclusive) and has unique mobility at such a stature. He's able to move extremely well in the pocket and can scramble when he needs to. While he won't be bowling over people like Cam Newton, he has Aaron Rodgers-like escapability.
The former Tiger is also a gifted thrower, of course. And he can make all of the throws, whether from the pocket or on the move. On the year, Lynch complete nearly 67 percent of his passes for over 3,700 yards, 28 touchdowns and only four interceptions. The year before that, he threw for over 3,000 yards, 22 TDs and only nine INTs, and also ran for 13 touchdowns as well.
Overall, he's simply a gifted quarterback.
There are two knocks on him, though. One is that he's a bit undersized for his height, and he needs to put on a little bit of weight. Also, he needs more experience. Both of those things can be fixed by him sitting behind a starter in the pros for two or three years while he develops physically and mentally for the pro game, and he'd be in the perfect situation with the Bears.
