Former Heisman finalist Lynch begins transition from QB to RB with Bears

Despite earning a trip to New York as a Heisman finalist, the conclusion of Jordan Lynch’s senior season at Northern Illinois was relatively disappointing. The Huskies saw their BCS hopes vanish in a 47-27 loss to Bowling Green in the MAC title game, and they fell once more to Utah State in the Poinsettia Bowl. To top it all off, Lynch was passed over by all 32 NFL teams at the NFL draft.

Things are looking up for the 23-year old, though. It’s a different look, but a positive one nonetheless. The Chicago Bears signed Lynch following the draft, and they’ve begun the process of transitioning him from quarterback to running back.

For the uninitiated, a quick glance at Lynch’s college numbers might lead one to assume he actually was a running back in college. Lynch finished eighth in the country in rush attempts for both the 2012 and 2013 seasons, amassing totals 1,815 and 1,920 yards, respectively. With a career mark of 6.6 yards per carry in four seasons (two as a starter) and 48 rushing touchdowns, Lynch was rather productive carrying the ball. Bears head coach Marc Trestman and general manager Phil Emery recognized Lynch’s rushing prowess, and elected to take a low-risk gamble on his potential as a running back.

The question for Lynch now: can he earn some touches and prove he’s capable of handling NFL running back duties? The early reviews following mini-camp are positive.

Emery was very high on Lynch, a Chicago native, in a recent interview with the Chicago Tribune.

“I’ll put that on myself. I pushed that agenda in terms of the running back role,” Emery said of the Bears interest in Lynch. “I went to the Western Michigan game. … What I saw was a guy with very good run eyes, very good instincts on how to set up behind blocks and how to move through space, particularly between the tackles. Which you don’t see with a lot of running quarterbacks. You see them out in space and they can make somebody miss out in space. But Jordan can run well between the tackles, off some of their inside option reads. That makes him unique. And what also strikes you is the toughness, the finish of his runs. You’re going to have to bring that guy down. He’s not going to trip over by himself, he’s not going to fall from a glancing blow. He just keeps those feet moving, he keeps those pads down. So all of those things, to me, said runner. He passed well in the short area during that game. The upfield stuff after 10 yards, not so much, in terms of he has some struggles in that way. I know that Jordan, in his heart, is a quarterback. But when he came and visited, we asked him to do some running back drills. He had done some running back drills at the combine and looked very good doing them. We sat down with him afterward. He let me know how badly he wanted to be a Chicago Bear. And I told him how badly I would like him to be a Chicago Bear.”

That’s an interesting endorsement from Emery, especially when you consider the context of the game versus Western Michigan. The November 26th meeting saw Lynch turn in the worst passing performance of his college career (5-of-17 for 39 yards), but he absolutely demolished the Broncos defense with his legs (27 carries for 321 yards and three touchdowns). Lynch ran for back-to-back scores in the first half of Northern Illinois’ 33-14 win, demonstrating that ability to run between the tackles and the vision Emery speaks of by effectively reading the defense and getting to the outside.

A simple YouTube search for “Jordan Lynch” reveals a plethora of instances when he’s running past, through, and over MAC defenses. He’s a natural when it comes to the running aspect of the running back position. His ability to get onto the field in the NFL will come down to how well he develops as a blocker.

Blocking was a focal point for Lynch at the Bears’ mini-camp. While he received mostly positive reviews in how he handled the fundamentals, there’s still a ways to go. Lynch is still very much at the bottom of the Bears depth chart in the backfield, and it’s not exactly an experienced lot he’s competing against.

Matt Forte will continue to be the workhorse in Chicago, but the departure of Michael Bush should give Ka’Deem Cary (a former Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year) some opportunities for touches, and perhaps Michael Ford and Shaun Draughn will be worked in too. While Lynch has quite a bit of catching up to do while learning the nuances at the running back position, his 40 time results from the NFL Combine are comparable to his competition (Lynch, 4.76 - Carey, 4.70).

Lynch’s first taste of NFL action will undoubtedly come on special teams in a kamikaze role. With Bush out of the picture at running back and kick return specialist Devin Hester signing a three-year deal with Atlanta, Lynch stands a chance to compete for some legitimate touches.

NFL defenses are the furthest thing from MAC defenses, but Jordan Lynch’s ability as a runner would have equaled dominance in any conference. The jump from elite college quarterback to NFL running back is just the next chapter in Lynch’s seemingly boundless career trajectory. You can never really count him out. Chicago presents a situation that’s a favorable as it gets for Lynch.