The Cleveland Browns moved back to No. 8 in the 2016 NFL Draft by trading the No. 2 pick to the Philadelphia Eagles. Does Cleveland now take Paxton Lynch?
The Cleveland Browns will now likely go with veteran quarterback Robert Griffin III as their 2016 starting quarterback after the Philadelphia Eagles decided to give Cleveland five picks for the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Cleveland had the upper hand, and new Eagles head coach Doug Pederson has mentioned his affinity for North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz. For now, it seems that Wentz and California quarterback Jared Goff will go one and two in some order to the Los Angeles Rams and the Eagles. However, do the Browns have something else up their sleeve now at No. 8?
ESPN’s Adam Schefter Tweeted out Wednesday afternoon amidst all the Cleveland/Philadelphia trade madness that the Browns could conceivably take Memphis Tigers’ star quarterback Paxton Lynch at No. 8 in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Quarterback to watch for Cleveland: Paxton Lynch.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 20, 2016
Lynch is expected to go in the first round, but probably not in the top five. Lynch seems to have high NFL upside as a big-bodied, strong-armed, mobile quarterback out of the AAC.
While new San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly could theoretically nab Lynch at No. 7, taking Lynch in the top 10 still feels like a reach. He has the tools to succeed in the NFL, but will likely need a few years on the bench before being ready to lead an NFL offense.
Since Cleveland will get five future picks from their Wednesday trade with the Eagles, perhaps it’s not a bad idea to grab Lynch at No. 8 and develop him behind Griffin for a few seasons. The Browns have a strong offensive-minded head coach in Hue Jackson, who ran a great offense the last two years with the rival Cincinnati Bengals.
Cleveland’s new offensive coordinator, Pep Hamilton, served as Andrew Luck’s offensive coordinator at both Stanford in the Pac-12 and in Indianapolis the last several years. Lynch has a similar build to Luck, offers similar upside to what scouts believe Wentz has to offer, and wouldn’t be expected to start right away with the 2016 Browns.
While San Francisco could conceivably draft Lynch at No. 7, don’t be surprised if the Browns take the Memphis quarterback with their No. 8 pick. Drafting Lynch would make the deal with Philadelphia all the sweeter for Cleveland’s new-look front office.
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