James Lynch 2020 NFL Draft Profile
A general manager always knows that he can have too many pass rushers on his team, and Baylor’s James Lynch is the kind of player that they covet. At Round Rock High School, Lynch was a Three-time all-district defensive lineman under coach Jeff Cheatham. He totaled 46 tackles, 14 TFL, eight sacks, three pass breakups, three fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble as a senior. In his junior year, he made 41 tackles, 24 QB pressures, and six sacks. By the time he left high school, Lynch had a number of accolades. Lynch was ranked as Rated nation’s 31st-best DT prospect in 2017 recruiting class by 247Sports, ranked No. 47 by ESPN and No. 47 by Scout. He was also a Top 100 Texas recruit: ranked No. 50 by 247Sports, No. 77 (sixth among DTs) by Scout and No. 83 by ESPN. Lynch committed to Baylor following high school.
College
James Lynch played three seasons for Baylor under Matt Rhule. He played in 11 games as a second-string defensive tackle. Lynch recorded 20 tackles, five TFLs, three sacks and recovered one fumble on season and led all Big 12 freshmen with 3.0 sacks. Lynch set career highs with seven tackles and five solo stops at No. 10 TCU while adding one tackle for loss. In 2018, Lynch was an All-Big 12 first-team selection (AP, Tribune-Herald), 2018 All-Big 12 second-team selection (coaches), and 2018 Academic All-Big 12 second-team honoree. He started all 13 games on the season, leading the team with sacks (5.5) and TFL (9.0). At the end of the season, Lynch ranked 9th in the Big 12 with 5.5 sacks and 17th in the Big 12 with 9.0 tackles for loss.
In his entire career, Lynch played in 38 games. He recorded 101 tackles, 39 coming for a loss. Lynch had 22 sacks and forced three fumbles, recovering all of them. He led the team in sacks in his final season at 13.5.
Strengths
- Explosive upper body power;
- Good frame;
- Heavy hands good for bull-rush;
- Stat line is impressive;
- Attacks the line of scrimmage with quickness;
- High Acceleration off the ball.
Weaknesses
- Relies too much on brute force;
- Needs better control on tackling;
- Has to clean up pass-rushing steps;
- Average lateral agility;
- Improper technique when attacking the run;
- Can lose balance if not gaining first step.
Bottom Line on James Lynch
Lynch can be described as an active, powerful defensive lineman with a relatively high upside. Teams will be able to use him as 3-4 defensive end with his snap quickness and power to displace at the point of attack. Lynch played in a team-oriented upfield scheme at Baylor. He flashed potential and should come into the league as a scheme-independent, rotational defender with the tools to challenge as an eventual starter. His strong upper body power will enable him to be used as a situational player
His relying on brute force, however, will be a major red flag. Teams are better now with their offensive line coaching and Lynch will need to adapt to that. His stats may have been gaudy due to being in a conference where no defense is virtually played. He is worth a late-round flier, but his new coaches will be faced with the task of molding him into a run-stuffer in addition to refining his pass-rush technique.
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