Baylor junior defensive lineman James Lynch announced Monday that he is declaring for the 2020 NFL draft.
Lynch, who was the Big 12's Defensive Player of the Year in the 2019 season, announced his intentions on his Twitter page.
Thank you Baylor nation!✌🏻 pic.twitter.com/X7gRHbySHH
— James Lynch (@JamesHusker38) January 13, 2020
Lynch is the fifth-best defensive tackle in the 2020 draft class, according to ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper's latest positional rankings.
In 2019, Lynch led the Big 12 in sacks with 13.5 and was second in the league in tackles for loss with 19.5. The 6-foot-4, 295-pound Lynch lined up primarily as a defensive end in the Bears' three-man defensive line last season and was part of a Baylor defense that allowed the fewest points per game in the Big 12 (19.8).
He was a member of former Baylor coach Matt Rhule's first recruiting class, which helped the Bears go from 1-11 in 2017 to 11-3 in 2019.