Young defender suffers first major injury of Vikings training camp

Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman James Lynch is done for the 2023 season after reportedly tearing his ACL during Thursday's night practice.

So far, the Minnesota Vikings have been able to avoid any significant blows to their roster due to injury during this summer's training camp.

However, injuries in the sport of football are inevitable, and Vikings defensive lineman James Lynch found that out the hard way during the team's night practice on Thursday as he reportedly suffered a torn ACL, according to NFL Media's Tom Pelissero.

Due to the injury, Lynch will undergo surgery on his knee, and his recovery time will force him to miss the entire 2023 season. The 24-year-old defensive lineman has been with Minnesota since 2020, when they selected him with a fourth-round draft pick.

Who should the Minnesota Vikings sign to replace James Lynch?

With Lynch done for the entire 2023 season, the Vikings are likely going to look to add another defensive lineman to replace him on their roster.

Based on some of their recent non-splashy moves, Minnesota will probably add someone cheap that no one has ever heard of. But if the Vikings are willing to look outside of the bargain bin, there are still some intriguing defensive linemen available in the free-agent market.

Guys like Akiem Hicks, Ndamukong Suh, and Linval Joseph are some of the most notable interior defenders that are still looking for a team to play for in 2023. Joseph, of course, spent six years of his NFL career in a Vikings uniform from 2014 to 2019.

At the very least, Lynch's season-ending injury should open up more opportunities for rookie defensive lineman Jaquelin Roy, who Minnesota selected a few months ago in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Unfortunately for Lynch, he's currently in the final year of his contract with the Vikings. So it's very possible that he has already played his last snap in a Minnesota uniform.