Paxton Lynch

Just four starts in two seasons is probably not what the Broncos were hoping for when they selected Lynch 26th overall in 2016. Last year would have been a perfect time to give him an extended look, but shoulder and ankle injuries limited Lynch to just six full quarters of play. Rather than roll the dice with an uncertain quarterback picture for the third straight season, GM John Elway brought veteran Case Keenum aboard. The pairing will give Lynch the benefit of learning under a quarterback who has also dealt with adversity and has similar scheme preferences, according to Denver's brass. There's still time for Lynch, a project coming out of Memphis, to put it all together and the Broncos showed some faith in not drafting a new signal-caller, but it's hard to see how exactly Lynch, and not Keenum or a future draft pick, elevates to becoming the team's long-term starter.

Lynch lost the starting job to Trevor Siemian last season as he had trouble picking up the offense. He and Siemian again will battle in training camp, but this year's offense with new coordinator Mike McCoy might be more to Lynch's liking, as it is expected to predominantly feature a shotgun passing game much like what Lynch played in during college. But that doesn't make Lynch, the third QB drafted in 2016, the favorite for the job. New coach Vance Joseph said this offseason that Lynch, who made three mediocre appearances (two starts) last season, needs to raise his leadership ability to match his exceptional physical talents. At 6-7, Lynch is strong in the pocket with a big arm, and he has the athleticism and mobility to extend plays. Siemian ultimately won the starting job after outplaying Lynch through the first two preseason games.

The third quarterback selected in this year's draft, Lynch in some ways falls into an enviable situation. The Super Bowl champion Broncos are led by their defense, which puts less pressure on the offense to score, and the team's turmoil at the position after watching Peyton Manning retire and Brock Osweiler bolt for Houston as a free agent also makes the rookie seem less like the franchise's savior and more like a savvy fallback plan. A very tall pocket passer with plus athleticism, Lynch has a big arm and uses his mobility to extend plays rather than looking to run at every opportunity, a skill set that likely seems very familiar to general manager John Elway. Despite those assets, though, Lynch is highly unlikely to be ready to face NFL defenses by Week 1. His ability to read defenses isn't up to scratch coming out of a college spread offense, and his mechanics, footwork and accuracy will all need a fair amount of polish. As such, the Broncos will be patient with the rookie and will rely on Mark Sanchez to lead the offense until they feel Lynch is ready, something which may not happen until next season. He'll still have Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders to throw to when he does take the reins, giving him a fairly high eventual ceiling, but his 2016 production will likely be limited to garbage time snaps.