Kansas City Chiefs mock draft: Final edition
By Nick Floyd
Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
Ok this one might get me some hate mail. The Chiefs have not selected a quarterback in the first round since the Todd Blackledge experiment. But Lynch is not Blackledge. For this draft I used the NFL.com big board.
Yes the Chiefs currently have Alex Smith under contract, and football gods willing, he should be solid for the next couple of years…but what about after. Smith is good and really what the Chiefs need right now, but he is not getting younger and his days are limited.
Lynch has the size NFL coaches love, six-foot seven, 244 pounds a big frame to be sure. But even with being that big Lynch is not opposed to taking hits and running. In fact when it came to sacks on the Memphis star he only got sacked 15 times over 477 drop backs, impressive. He also likes to extend passing plays with his legs, before taking off, allowing his receivers to get open.
His weaknesses are he needs to improve his ball placement, and when moving he can lose his accuracy leaving open yards that could have been earned. His arm strength needs to be improved and he needs help working through his progressions faster in the pocket. He needs to really work on getting the ball out with consistency, sometimes his throws wabble too much.
Paxton Lynch has the makings of a solid starter, at least after a year or two of learning his craft better with the right coaching. Sitting behind Alex Smith and working with head coach Andy Reid could help this potential starter with his ball skills and his overall game. This pick might not happen if Dorsey thinks the future starter for the Chiefs is on his current roster, but a prospect like this would be hard to pass up.
Next: Beefing up the offensive line?