Chicago Bears meet with Jordan Lynch at NFL Scouting Combine

Former Northern Illinois Huskies quarterback Jordan Lynch isn’t the most high-profile 2014 NFL draft prospect at the NFL Scouting Combine that got underway today, but he may be one of the most intriguing after finishing third in the Heisman Trophy voting as a senior.

What makes Lynch so intriguing is that despite throwing for 6,030 yards and 49 touchdowns in addition to rushing for a staggering 3,735 yards and 42 touchdowns the last two seasons, the question remains if the 6-0 signal-caller has the skills necessary to be an NFL quarterback.

"“I’m a quarterback first,” Lynch said on Friday. “I always say I’m a quarterback first and I’ve been proving people wrong ever since I started playing. There is no doubt in my mind I will continue to do that. What I tell teams is that they are going to make a huge mistake if they don’t put me at quarterback.”"

With the success of shorter quarterbacks Russell Wilson and the likelihood that Johnny Manziel will be a top-five pick, the notion that Lynch can’t be a quarterback because of his height don’t hold much weight.

However, the concerns about his accuracy and arm strength are after a so-so week at the East-West Shrine game in January when he threw a pair of interceptions in the game and didn’t exactly wow people with the velocity he put on his passes.

One bad week did not make NFL teams forget about what he had done the past two years as Lynch said, “They’ve showed a lot of interest. With the way quarterbacks are going these days, teams are looking for that mobile guy, someone who can come in and run that zone option read. I think I fit well for them.

“I’ve talked to the Chicago Bears, Oakland Raiders, Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns. Those are the ones I specifically remember.”

Only the Raiders and Browns don’t have an established starting quarterback, but the Bears, Bengals and Dolphins could view Lynch as a change-of-pace quarterback to add another dimension to the offense.

After attending high school at Chicago’s Mount Carmel, Lynch being drafted by the hometown Bears would be an absolute home run for him, but it likely won’t happen until late on Day 3 of the draft.