Mark Sanchez Comments on Broncos Selecting Paxton Lynch in 2016 NFL Draft

When the Denver Broncos drafted Paxton Lynch in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft, it became abundantly clear the team planned on going into the season with Mark Sanchez as its starting quarterback.

That's the impression Sanchez has gotten as well, as he told reporters Monday, per Mike Klis of 9News.com:

Absolutely. That’s been the message I’ve received. I’m thrilled about this opportunity. Whether it was a veteran that came in, any of the names that were out there, any of these guys in the draft that are becoming pros this year – my focus wouldn’t change.

The most important thing for me was to get involved with the players here. Meet these guys, develop a relationship, learn this playbook as fast as I can, and then get involved in the community and establish myself as a leader on this team.

And that’s going to take time. That’s going to take reps no matter who was here.

Without question, Lynch is the quarterback of the future. But despite his immense talent and upside, he's a major project who didn't come from a pro-style offense and will need time to adjust to the NFL game. 

Sanchez seemingly has no problem mentoring him during that time. 

"If you're confident in your ability, you've got no problem helping a guy," Sanchez said, per Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. "If you see something, whether it's on the field, off the field, you can just help him out as much as you can."

The question thus becomes twofold for the Broncos: How long will Sanchez be the starting quarterback, and how will he fare while the job is his?

As for the former, the plan is likely to sit Lynch for at least a year, allowing him the opportunity to learn the offense without the pressure of doing so on the field, especially since the Broncos are expected to be one of the AFC's top teams again this season.

The pressure to lead the Broncos back to the Super Bowl will instead fall on Sanchez's shoulders.

Sanchez spent the past two seasons as a backup quarterback with the Philadelphia Eagles, accumulating 3,034 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. As has been his issue throughout his career, turnovers were his Achilles' heel. For his career, he has 86 touchdown passes and 84 interceptions.

Turnovers were an issue for Denver's quarterbacks last season as well. Peyton Manning threw 17 interceptions in 10 games, while Brock Osweiler was a bit more careful with the football, throwing six picks in eight contests. 

However, Manning, to his credit, threw just one interception in three postseason games, protecting the ball and allowing the defense and the running game to lead the team to a Super Bowl title.

Sanchez will be tasked with managing the game in a similar manner. The Broncos still have one of the best defenses in the NFL and have enough playmakers on offense—namely wide receivers Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders—to offer Sanchez plenty of support.

And Sanchez has been in this position before. Behind an excellent defense, he led the New York Jets to the AFC Championship Game in each of his first two seasons. So he's proven in the past that he can manage an offense while a superior defense leads a team to victories. 

That's certainly the plan in Denver. Barring a shocking development, Sanchez will go into the season as the starting quarterback for the defending Super Bowl champions. How he fares in that role will not only determine how the Broncos themselves perform this season, but it will also determine just how long the Broncos can take in grooming Lynch to be his successor. 

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