2020 NFL Draft: Favorite prospects for the Tennessee Titans in first five rounds

Round Three: James Lynch, DT, Baylor

I’ll always look for players that produced well at the college level before anything else. Some players that put up big-time numbers before the NFL often get overlooked for lacking a variety of traits that scouts associate with pro-readiness, but smart teams with truly talented players will almost always find a way to make it work.

Enter James Lynch, Baylor’s truly talented defensive tackle that bullied his Big-12 competition. Lynch will be entering the draft after just three years of college football but doesn’t have much left to prove at that level. The Baylor defensive lineman’s resume looked like he was playing on rookie mode with 19.5 TFL’s and 13.5 sacks, both top ten in the FBS.

Even with the impressive box scores, Lynch’s draft stock hasn’t quite caught up to his level of play. Most analysts seem to have him around a third-round grade, citing his limited set of rush-moves and weaknesses on a technical level as reasons why he might not be able to find as much success in the NFL as he did at Baylor.

But discrediting Lynch’s success by labeling him as a developmental player feels like a disservice to his immense talent. A few years of coaching and Lynch could strengthen the details of his game and add to the level of talent that made him one of the most disruptive players in all of college football.

He’s strong, athletic and has one of the most fun highlight reels of anybody in this class. He’s worth at least a third-round pick, especially for a Titans team in need of help on the defensive line.