At 6-foot-7 and 245 pounds, Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch draws a lot more praise for his throwing arm than for his athleticism.
But that doesn't mean he's unathletic, and NFL Media draft expert Mike Mayock likened the Tigers' junior on Wednesday to Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco from that standpoint.
"I like Paxton Lynch from Memphis. His tape against Ole Miss is intriguing. ... All indications are he probably comes out. He's got a good arm, I don't think it's elite, (and) he's athletic for 6-7. He reminds me of Joe Flacco athletically," Mayock told The Rich Eisen Show. "Good arm, good release. He has to hasten the process a little bit."
Flacco certainly isn't known for breaking the pocket and hurting defenses as a rusher, but he's athletic enough to buy himself a bit more time to find a receiver. He's also similar to Lynch in size (6-6, 245). And like Lynch, he didn't make his way as a prospect from a college powerhouse; Flacco played at Delaware, yet rose during the draft process enough to be a first-round pick (No. 18 overall in 2008). Lynch has also drawn comparisons to another of the NFL's biggest quarterbacks, Pittsburgh Steelers veteran Ben Roethlisberger.
Lynch will decide at the end of the season whether to leave Memphis and apply for early entry into the 2016 NFL Draft, or return to school. Like Flacco did in his final year at Delaware, Lynch is playing spectacularly in what could be his final college season. He's completed 68.7 percent of his passes for 3,292 yards, both career-bests, with a TD-INT ratio of 21-3. Last month, an NFL scout told Sports Illustrated that Lynch projects as a first-round draft pick.
Memphis' games have drawn uncommon attention from NFL scouts this year, including nine clubs that attended Memphis' loss at Houston last weekend. NFL Media analyst Lance Zierlein attended the game as well and came away with a detailed assessment of his skills.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
