4 players who may not fit with the Vikings new offense or defense

James Lynch – DT

James Lynch is a third-year player on the Vikings and a guy who has only shown flashes in his two seasons with the team. In two years with Minnesota, he’s appeared in 22 games with one start. He’s totaled 30 tackles in that span with two sacks.

Lynch has had some nice moments, including a beautiful bull-rush sack of Russell Wilson, but for the most part, hasn’t given the Vikings a proper return on their fourth-round investment back in 2020.

With Minnesota switching to a 3-4 front, things are only going to get tougher for Lynch to make an impact, and he may find it very difficult to even make the final 53-man squad.

Lynch does one thing very well and that is to rush the passer. He was seen as a great fit as an interior disruptor in the Vikings’ 4-3 defense under Mike Zimmer after a huge senior season at Baylor, where he racked up 13.5 sacks, but that just never materialized.

While Minnesota is still going to run some 4-3 fronts on defense, they are primarily switching to a 3-4 look, and that is where Lynch just doesn’t really fit in. He’s just a little undersized to play the five-tech in the NFL. These guys are space eaters who engage the tackles and set the edge. They are run stuffers first and pass rushers second.

That isn’t Lynch’s game. While Baylor did utilize three-down linemen, Lynch’s job was always to get after the quarterback. He won’t be asked to do that and doesn’t have the frame to hold up as a run stuffer. He’s truly an odd man out, and his spot on the Vikings could be in jeopardy because of it.