2027 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Kadin Lynch, OL, Utah State University

• Name: Kadin Lynch
• Position: Offensive Line
• College: Utah State University
• Height: 6’4”
• Weight: 312 lbs
• Twitter: Kadin_Lynch72
• Instagram: Kadin_Lynch72

What makes you a top prospect at your position in the 2027 NFL Draft? 

My biggest attributes, beyond just the field, are my work ethic and my ability to absorb coaching. Interior offensive lineman have to be many things and a lot of guys have the physical attributes and the abilities to make an impact alongside me however I separate myself through discipline in my training and preparation, from workouts to field work and conditioning to my nutrition and recovery. Coachability is another aspect that I feel elevates my potential as I am always willing and open to making the changes necessary for my improvement as a player and as a teammate. 

Tell me about a time you faced adversity and how you responded?

Adversity as a collegiate athlete comes in many forms, one of the most influential times I faced adversity was after earning my first few starts in college. The guy ahead of me on the depth chart was out, so I filled in and put together some really impressive games while he recovered. Upon his return I thought I was going to be completely sidelined again as a younger player, but I ended up rotating for the rest of the season and got to start a majority of the games as well. Through those times of uncertainty while not knowing if I would still have an impactful role, and even through the games that we rotated, my main focus stayed on executing my task when I had the opportunity, which shifted my mindset as a player towards purely executing when that opportunity arises. Many things in life and sport are chaotic or uncertain so I adopted a mentality of executing as close to perfection when I am in the position to do so and given the chance to play. 

What are your hobbies outside of football? 

Strength & Conditioning

What role do you see yourself playing at the next level? 

I see my role at the next level being similar to my role in college, a foundational piece to a consistent and hard working group as an offensive line. Beyond positionally, serving as an example of hard work and effort for the rest of the team, breeding competition and motivation for others to strive for the impossible alongside me. Leadership as a role is always something to desire, but that is an earned aspect through proven effort and reliability, so that would be a piece of my role that must be gained once at that level. 

If you could donate to one cause in the world, what would it be? 

Proper nutrition and training resources for young athletes. 

How do you handle coaching, especially criticism or being corrected repeatedly? 

I handle it really well, I see criticism and critique as a privilege because it means someone cares enough to evaluate and interpret your film so it must be taken with honor and respect. Repeated critique I am unfamiliar with as I am normally told something once before making the correction however it remains the same idea. All criticism does is open new pathways for improvement which is the outlet for my work ethic, so it is necessary to me.

Who is the most underrated teammate at your school? 

Linden Clemmons (William & Mary) 

If you could have dinner with three people, dead or alive, who would it be and why did you choose them? 

1. Brian Shaw would be my first choice as when it comes to the unison of desirable characteristics he is easily a great example, between his discipline, consistency, dominance in his sport, and most importantly he is a natural competitor shown through his work ethic which resonates with me. I have followed him since his earliest days of Strongman at the national level. 
2. Kevin Levrone is another great competitor, but his resilience, determination, and ability to face adversity, earning him the nickname “The Uncrowned King”, stands out to me. An extremely impressive example of unyielding determination during preparation and day in and day out work ethic, yet falling short in what most deem the biggest stage of bodybuilding would make for a great conversation looking at mentalities across variable sports, realistically I would rather get a training session in with these first two though. 
3. Quenton Nelson would be my third choice, simply because I would enjoy talking about the intricacies of offensive line play at that level from the perspective of such a successful player and leader, that I would say has many aspects in his play that I admire and have studied within his film.

If you were benched tomorrow, what would be the most likely reason? 

The most likely reason would be to force me to take a rest day. 

Walk me through your typical pre-game routine? 

My pregame routine realistically starts several days before game day, but for the sake of the question I’ll start the night before. I always go through a nightly mobility and stretching routine, typically after a short sauna session to prepare my body and ensure adequate REM sleep. The morning of game day I’m rolling out, either a temper or foam roller. Kickoff time will be the biggest influence on my desired nutritional intake and timing prior to the game however it is basically adequate protein and complex carbs furthest out from the game, then consistent intake of simple carbs leading up to warmups with a focus on multi sourced items to ensure proper ratios of muscle and liver glycogen stores. While getting loose and ready, I prefer to do my routine within the facility rather than on the field. Typically I go through my mindfulness and listen to some music then I mentally run through plays and that will lead up until we go out for positional warmups. 

What is your favorite snack food? 

My favorite snack is greek yogurt and berries or a protein shake/smoothie. 

What scheme do you feel you fit the best in? 

I think my early exposure and experience in a zone run scheme has made that a well developed aspect of my game, but I am proficient in all run schemes, making my abilities conducive to a run heavy offense. While I am also consistent and reliable in the pass game, I think I am an overall balanced interior player, but my preference for run blocking is apparent in my tape. For those reasons I would say a run heavy scheme with a multiple look approach is my best fit. 

What is your degree in? 

• B.S Kinesiology – Human Nutrition (William & Mary) 
• M.S Nutrition & Food Science (In progress at Utah State University)

What would be the first thing you buy with your first NFL check? 

My first purchase would have to be a supplement haul of protein powders, pre-workouts, creatine, hydration powders and a few other supplements. 

Describe a time in a game where you feel you made a mistake, and explain how you bounced back?

Early in my career, in a game, I started off playing less confident than I had in practice, and through the voiced reassurance from a teammate that I looked up to and my Coach reminding me how far I had come to that point I got back into my play style by the middle of the first quarter. This was prior to me really finding my pregame mindfulness which caused me to think a little too “big picture”, unable to focus on my task, but I was able to get back on track early in the game due to the support I had around me. 

Name three songs, we can expect on your playlist? 

1. Animal I Have Become – Three Days Grace
2. Put Your Back Into The Oar – Amon Amarth
3. Hail The Apocalypse – Avatar