Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch is reportedly “a virtual lock” to enter the 2016 NFL Draft, according to Josh Norris of Rotoworld and NBC Sports, a noted draft guru.
https://twitter.com/JoshNorris/status/673941645683896320
This is expected for a couple of reasons.
First and foremost, Lynch’s 2015 campaign for the Tigers was the kind every young college player dreams to achieve. After throwing for 3,670 yards with 28 touchdowns and just three interceptions, he’s likely going to parlay his success into a high draft pick.
In fact, nobody should be shocked if Lynch ends up going No. 1 overall. He might not end up being the best quarterback of this year’s class, but he has the measurables teams will be drooling over. At 6-foot-7 and 245 pounds, Lynch has the size to succeed in today’s NFL, and he combines that size with excellent athleticism, and a big-time arm, to boot.
The other reason it was expected Lynch would leave school early is that his head coach Justin Fuente is leaving town for another job at Virginia Tech. With Fuente gone, it was virtually a guarantee Lynch would leave, too.
This will be a player to watch the rest of the winter. He and the Tigers are headed to the Birmingham Bowl to face Auburn on Dec. 30. It will almost assuredly be the final game of Lynch’s career before he launches into training mode for the NFL draft in April, where he’ll almost certainly be attending in Chicago.