Denver Broncos QB Paxton Lynch should start as a rookie

Denver Broncos quarterback Paxton Lynch — the team’s first round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft — should start at some point in his rookie season…

What are the Denver Broncos planning with quarterback Paxton Lynch? Does Mark Sanchez really stand in the way of him becoming the starter as early as the season opener in 2016?

The answers to all of these questions will become obvious as the offseason progresses, but I think it’s important for us to all come to grips with the fact that Paxton Lynch should probably be the team’s starting quarterback in 2016, and that’s not a bad thing.

The Broncos are tailor-made for a rookie quarterback to take the reins this year, especially one with the talent level of Lynch.

Coming out of Memphis, it’s apparent that Lynch has what it takes to be a star in this league, even though there are clearly areas where he needs development. One thing that Lynch does better than most quarterbacks in this class is make throws while under pressure. He didn’t have an all-star cast of linemen at Memphis, and was constantly having to avoid pressure to make plays.

One thing that I noticed about Lynch going back and watching all of his games in college was his great footwork in the pocket, his ability to escape pressure and not just take off and run with the ball, but throw on the run. I don’t see the Broncos having the kind of offensive line issues they had last season, but if they struggle to protect their prized asset, he has the ability to escape pressure and make plays with his legs.

Plus, how can you argue with this kind of swag?

In all seriousness, the one concern that people really have about Lynch starting as a rookie is whether or not he can play under center, and that really just comes with repetition. This isn’t a case of Peyton Manning having played 17 or 18 seasons primarily from the shotgun formation. This is a rookie who isn’t set in his ways by any means. It will take some repetition and getting used to, but there’s no doubt in my mind he’s going to be able to pick up the concepts the Broncos want to run from center.

I also view Lynch as the Broncos’ top option to open up the vertical passing game. Obviously, Sanchez brings the veteran presence that you want to have from a quarterback, but he isn’t going to be able to push the ball downfield like Lynch can. One of the knocks on Lynch coming out was deep ball accuracy, and that could extend into his rookie season, but you have to find a way to let him get those reps in and get good timing down with his receivers.

The vertical passing game was something that was really missing from the Broncos’ offense last year. Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas are guys who do some of their best work deep down the field with their speed, but the Broncos just couldn’t find enough ways to push the ball downfield enough.

With what figures to be a vastly improved running game (one that might get even better with Arian Foster a possible target), the Broncos can afford to take the lumps of a rookie quarterback, which we basically saw last year. Peyton Manning was a turnover machine, and if not for some late game heroics, Brock Osweiler’s 5-2 record as the starter could have easily been below .500.

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The fact of the matter is, the Denver defense is good enough to support the development of a rookie quarterback, and the playmakers on offense are also good enough to bail him out of some bad plays as well.

And you can’t just assume he’s going to be consistently bad, either. While you certainly will have to take some lumps and temper expectations for year one, Lynch is a playmaker capable of doing some really great things even as a young QB.

Broncos fans should be excited to see what this young rookie can do with the strength of the defense in Denver behind him.

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