James Lynch | DL | Baylor
Elevator Pitch
An athletic and length interior defender with the versatility to be kicked outside if called upon to do so, Lynch is a productive player with plenty of pass-rushing upside. He uses his hands well and plays with a high motor consistently. Though he needs work as a run defender, the potential is there for him to be a quality player at the next level.
Vitals
Height | 6-4
Weight | 289
Strengths
Lynch’s physical attributes make him one of the more intriguing defensive linemen in the class.
A lengthy defender with long arms and a well-proportioned frame, Lynch has a strong frame that could pack on a little bit more weight if teams want to slide him inside as a 3-technique. He plays with a high motor and rushes hard on a down-by-down basis. His upper body is impressive, as he packs a powerful punch at the initial point of contact and physically overwhelmed Big 12 offensive linemen on a consistent basis.
As one would expect for a player who got 18.5 sacks in his two seasons as a collegiate starter, Lynch brings plenty of pass-rushing upside. He’s an explosive rusher who accelerates off the ball well and has good short-area quickness. His ankles are flexible and allow him to maintain pursuit and turn the corner while working through contact. Baylor had him taking some snaps as a standup edge rusher, and he attacks passing downs like an edge rusher would. He has quick and active hands and fights hard to clear his hands to disengage, as well as maintaining inside leverage. He can rip and dip well for someone his size.
Weaknesses
Lynch is still a work in progress from a technical standpoint. His pad level could use some improvement, as he has a tendency to get a bit high when he engages with a blocker. Though he’s flexible in his ankles, his ability to sink his hips in contact and generate power while staying low isn’t quite developed yet. He could stand to add some more hand techniques to his game to diversify his skill set some.
Run support is another area Lynch could stand to get better in. His tackle for a loss numbers are noteworthy, as he had 28.5 of them in his seasons as a starter, but he needs some work as far as holding his blocks and eating up gaps go. He can disengage and bring down ball carriers in space and past the line of scrimmage, but he could stand to add a bit more tenacity in his lower body and keep a lower center of gravity.
Projection: 3rd-4th Round
[vertical-gallery id=613832]