Cleveland Browns: Is Paxton Lynch Worth A Top 5 Pick?

Aug 7, 2015; Canton, OH, USA; General view of 2015 NFL draft selection cards of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (

), Tennessee Titans (

) and Jacksonville Jaguars (Dante Fowler). Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

No Franchise QB On Roster — Draft Lynch And Keep Manziel?

Justin Blum

The Browns will have options but they should take Memphis’ Paxton Lynch, who is listed at 6’7 and 245 lbs.

He is quite capable of picking up first downs with his legs, but he is not a “running quarterback.”  Although he’s a big guy, Lynch is surprisingly quick and mobile.

So, if what we all think is going to happen, happens, Cleveland will have the first pick and they should select a quarterback. If they fall short and pick second or third, quarterback should still be the pick. Regardless, the best option for the Browns is Paxton Lynch.

The main reason that the Browns should take Lynch is that they do not have a franchise quarterback on their roster. Manziel may be a good starting quarterback in the NFL, but that is no forgone conclusion.

Unless Manziel does something horrible from now until the draft, the Browns should keep him and get as much out of him as possible. That said, drafting Lynch is still a priority for the Browns because their odds of having a franchise quarterback increases if you have more than one quarterback to choose from.

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Lynch hasn’t played against the toughest competition in college, but he has played against FBS opponents and played well. During his time in college, he more than held his own. Lynch appears to enjoy the competition and his level of play increases against better teams.

Lynch has a live arm and he’s a confident passer. When he needs to run the ball, you forget you are watching a guy that’s 6’7″. Lynch has the tools and the athleticism to succeed in the NFL. However, he will need some good coaching and I hope he’s able to get it in Cleveland.

Having Manziel, McCown, and Lynch could really solidify the position, a welcome difference from the current campaign.

Lynch could learn quite a bit from both McCown and Manziel and the perspective from both of them would undoubtedly help the rookie. If things went really well, Cleveland might end up with two franchise quarterbacks.

Next: What If He Slipped To The Second Round?