EAGAN, Minn. -- Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman James Lynch suffered a torn ACL during a training camp practice Thursday night and is expected to miss the 2023 season, a source confirmed to ESPN on Friday.
Lynch, a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft, started three games for the Vikings over the past two years. But he was in a roster battle this summer as the team transitions to new defensive coordinator Brian Flores' scheme. Lynch will be eligible for unrestricted free agency next spring.
NFL Network was first to report the news of Lynch's injury.
As Flores experiments with personnel this spring, the Vikings have sometimes had only one or two defensive linemen on the field. Veterans Harrison Phillips and Dean Lowry have received many of those snaps with the first team, along with nose tackle Khyiris Tonga. The Vikings are also encouraged by the progress of rookie defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy, a fifth-round pick from LSU.