Titans Re-Sign Former Vikings Draft Choice
In 2020, Rick Spielman changed Vikings football. He didn’t do anything crazy; he just selected the best player on the board, a guy the Eagles previously passed on for some reason. Justin Jefferson went on to become a record-breaker in the NFL, Minnesota’s franchise player, and one of the brightest stars the game has to offer.
Titans Re-Sign Former Vikings Draft Choice
In that same draft class, he added offensive lineman Ezra Cleveland, wideout K.J. Osborn, and safety Joshua Metellus. Among the many other players he drafted (it was a crazy 15-man draft class) was defensive tackle James Lynch.
Lynch spent the first years of his career with the Vikings but has since found a new home in Tennessee. The Titans recently re-upped his contract for another year.
The franchise announced on its website, “The Titans have re-signed defensive lineman James Lynch. Lynch initially signed with the team prior to the start of the 2024 season to bring depth to the defensive line. Also on Wednesday, the Titans waived-injured receiver Tay Martin and linebacker Kyron Johnson. Lynch saw action as a reserve in all 17 games in his first season with the Titans, and he posted 20 tackles, a sack, four quarterback pressures, two stops for loss and two passes defended.”
Lynch was a 2020 fourth-rounder after an astonishing final season at Baylor. He was named first-team All-Big 12, won the conference Defensive Player of the Year award, and was a unanimous All-American.
The defensive lineman dominated competition, collecting 19.5 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and a pair of blocked kicks that year.
He entered the draft undersized, weighing in at only 289 lbs, and it wasn’t quite clear what the tweener’s role would be in the pros, which is why he fell despite his accolades.
In his first three seasons (all with the Vikings), Lynch appeared in 37 games (three starts) and logged 53 tackles and two sacks, on 640 defensive snaps and 70 on special teams.
Unfortunately, Lynch suffered a torn ACL in training camp in 2023. That was the final year of his rookie contract and entirely ruined any free agency market for him in 2024. The Vikings re-signed him, but he failed to make the team last year.
Tennessee then snagged him and added him to the practice squad. Later, he was promoted to the 53-man roster. Lynch appeared in all 17 games, playing a rotational role comparable to the one he had in 2021 and 2022. He made 20 tackles and one sack.
John Glennon of the Nashville Post commented, “Lynch, 26, will add manpower to a Titans’ defensive line that was thin on experience behind the top three of Jeffery Simmons, T’Vondre Sweat and Sebastian Joseph-Day. Other Titans reserves at defensive line include Abdullah Anderson and Keondre Coburn.”
It’s not a given that the 26-year-old will be included when the team announces the 53-man roster in August, but he undoubtedly has a chance to compete for another rotational season.
Other former Vikings under contract on Lynch’s former and new team: Safety Xavier Woods and offensive tackle Oli Udoh.
The Titans will look a lot different this year if Cam Ward, the first-overall pick, is as good as anticipated. His predecessors, Will Levis and Mason Rudolph, were underwhelming candidates at the QB position and held the team back.
The Vikings will not meet the Titans in 2025, unless a wild Super Bowl matchup occurs.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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