Bay Area Sports: Ranking the Top 30 Players

Oct 4, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Aaron Lynch (59) reacts after recording a sack against the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth quarter at Levi

#26 – Aaron Lynch, San Francisco 49ers

Bright spots have been few and far between for the 49ers this year, but Aaron Lynch’s continued development is a small ray of sunshine. Lynch, a former fifth-round draft pick in just his second season in the NFL, has already established himself as one of the 49ers’ best defensive players.

In his rookie season, Lynch was presented an opportunity for extensive playing time because of various injuries and off-the-field issues on the 49ers’ defense. He responded well, racking up six sacks, and finishing tied for the team lead with Ahmad Brooks. This season, Lynch has started nine of 10 games so far, and his 6.5 sacks are more than any other 49ers’ defender. He also has a pair of multi-sack games.

Lynch’s development has been rapid, as he has gone from late-round draft pick with low expectations to the best pass rusher on the defense. The South Florida product is built like a tank at 6’5″ and 250 pounds, and he plays with that kind of mentality.

He’s still an extremely young man, at just 22 years old, and the sky is the limit for him.

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