Consensus All-America end James Lynch and all-Big 12 nosetackle Bravvion Roy were two of the biggest reasons why Baylor’s defensive line was so dominant in 2019.
The NFL took notice on the third day of the draft.
The Minnesota Vikings selected Lynch in the fourth round while the Carolina Panthers picked Roy in the sixth round on the final day of the NFL Draft.
Linebacker Clay Johnston became the third Baylor defender selected as the Los Angeles Rams drafted him in Saturday’s seventh round.
On Friday, wide receiver Denzel Mims was the first Baylor player drafted when the New York Jets took him in the second round. The Bears’ four draft picks were their most since 2016 when six were selected.
Additionally, nine Baylor players have agreed to free agent contracts, including defensive back Grayland Arnold with Philadelphia, defensive end James Lockhart with Pittsburgh, running back JaMycal Hasty with San Francisco, linebacker Blake Lynch with Minnesota, cornerback Jameson Houston with Cleveland, linebacker Jordan Williams with Atlanta, safety Chris Miller with Seattle, safety Henry Black with Green Bay, and long snapper Ross Matiscik with Jacksonville.
James Lynch became the first Baylor defensive lineman selected in the draft since Cincinnati chose Andrew Billings in the fourth round in 2016. Roy will reunite with former Baylor coach Matt Rhule after he became Carolina’s head coach on Jan. 7.
It marked the first time two Baylor defensive linemen were picked in the same draft since 1996 when Miami took Daryl Gardener in the first round and Atlanta picked Gary Bandy in the fifth round.
En route to becoming Big 12 defensive player of the year, Lynch set Baylor records with 13.5 sacks in 2019 and 22 sacks in his three college seasons.
The Vikings selected the 6-4, 290-pound Lynch as a defensive tackle, where he played a great deal during his first two seasons at Baylor. With the Bears switching from a four-man line to a three-man front in 2019, Lynch primarily played end as a junior.
“When I was at Baylor, I was able to play everything,” said Lynch in a virtual press conference Saturday. “But playing inside is my natural position. I feel like I bring a mismatch to offensive guards or whoever I go against. I feel like I can do different things to confuse them and try to get to the quarterback as fast as I can.”
Lynch wasn’t surprised the Vikings drafted him because they showed a lot of interest at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis in February.
“I walked in there and I saw the whole coaching staff,” Lynch said. “They wanted to talk football and they made it easy for me. I felt comfortable talking with Coach (Mike) Zimmer and I knew I’d fit well. I like the new stadium and the facilities and stuff. It’s everything I could have ever asked for, so to be able to go there whenever I get a chance to is going to be an awesome feeling.”
The Vikings wanted to add depth to their defensive line after releasing veteran tackle Linval Joseph, who signed with the Los Angeles Chargers on March 30.
Earlier in the fourth round, the Vikings drafted South Carolina defensive end D.J. Wonnum. In the fifth round, the Vikings chose cornerback Harrison Hand, who played last season at Temple after playing at Baylor in 2017-18.
Though Lynch was the most dominating defensive lineman in the Big 12 last year with 19.5 tackles for loss, he believes he’ll need to step up his game to be a force in the NFL.
“Obviously going into the league, there’s going to be a lot better players,” Lynch said. “My technique has to be a lot better and there are a lot of things I can work on. When it comes down to being a D-lineman, it’s someone who can be disruptive and that’s what I try to be. I have a lot of work to do to be disruptive on Sundays.”
While Lynch was clearly on the radar of NFL teams, Roy wasn’t invited to the combine despite a tremendous senior season in which he led Baylor’s defensive linemen with 61 tackles while recording 13.5 for loss and 5.5 sacks.
But Rhule saw how effective the 6-1, 333-pound Roy could be as he routinely took on two offensive linemen to clear the way for other Baylor players to make tackles.
“He knows what I’m about and I know what he’s about,” said Roy in a virtual press conference. “We all want the same thing. You’re going to see hard-nosed defense. You’re going to see toughness. You’re not going to see miscommunication or anything like that. That’s just the way Coach Rhule runs it.”
Roy will also reunite with Carolina defensive coordinator Phil Snow and assistant defensive line coach Frank Okam, who both coached him at Baylor.
“They’re like a second family for me,” Roy said. “I tell everybody Coach Rhule is like a second father to me. The stuff that he teaches and the knowledge and wisdom he speaks with, you just can’t take for granted. You’ve got to soak everything in what he talks about.”
The Panthers chose defensive players with five of their first six picks, including Auburn tackle Derrick Brown in the first round and Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos in the second round.
“I’m ready to work with Derrick Brown and compete with him because that’s what I do,” Roy said. “I’m a competitor. It’s just a blessing to play alongside a guy like that. His film doesn’t lie. You see how disruptive he is.”
The last Baylor player drafted was Johnston, who was having an All-America type of senior season when he tore his ACL against Texas Tech in the sixth game of 2019.
Johnston has worked his way back from his knee injury and hopes to be ready to play linebacker for the Rams when preseason games begin.
On Friday night, Mims had to wait much longer than expected as the Jets selected him near the end of the second round with the 59th pick.
Mock drafts projected Mims to be selected late in the first round or early in the second round after strong performances at the Senior Bowl and the combine.
“I was a little surprised,” said Mims in a teleconference. “But one thing I was taught is control what you can control. I got upset a little bit, but I cleared it up and just let everything happen. I’ve always been underrated my whole life. At No. 59, I’m happy but I have a lot of work to do.”
The 6-3, 207-pound Mims was a force for the Bears since he stepped into the starting lineup as a sophomore in 2017.
In the last three seasons, Mims made 182 catches for 2,911 yards and 28 touchdowns. As a senior in 2019, he caught a career-high 66 passes for 1,020 yards and 12 scores.
Besides his knack for leaping catches in the end zone and tough grabs over the middle, Mims also has a reputation as a tenacious blocker.
“My blocking stands out,” Mims said. “Contesting catches stand out and I feel I make plays all around the field. I know when it comes down to crunch time and the end of the game I want the spotlight on me. I want to be the one to help the team get the victory and I want it on my shoulders.”
Mims is looking forward to starting to work out with Jets quarterback Sam Darnold when camps begin to open.
“I think he’s a great quarterback,” Mims said. “I think I can come in right away and get rolling together and make a great connection and make the Jets’ program a lot better. I feel I can do a lot of good things to help the team and I believe the Jets believe in me.”
— WACOTRIB