Camryn Bynum Goes to Vikings in Fourth Round

Defensive back Cam Bynum was the only Cal player chosen in this weekend’s NFL draft, going to the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round Saturday. 

At least two other Bears apparently signed free agent contracts, which cannot officially be reported yet.  Tackle Jake Curhan signed with the Seahawks and defensive lineman Zeandae Johnson is joining Bynum in Minnesota.

The 6-0, 196-pound Bynum was taken with the 125th pick. A four-year starter as a cornerback at Cal, he was tagged as a safety by Minnesota. He says he expects no trouble in making the transition, which did not come as a surprise.

“During my interview process every single team asked me about playing nickel or safety or corner if we needed to,” Bynum said in a Zoom interview from Big Bear Lake, where he watched the draft with family members and some Cal teammates. “That is something I expected coming in.”

Bynum said he did some intensive practice at safety in preparation for the Senior Bowl, where his position coach was the Dolphins Gerald Alexander. It just so happens Alexander had been at Cal during Bynum’s first three years.

“It (the Senior Bowl practices) felt really good, especially learning from coach Alexander...It was a perfect transition. Outside the facility doing drills on our own, we did a lot of work together.”

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer is regarded as a defensive genius, and Bynum is looking forward to working for him.

“To be able to learn from somebody who is known as a great defensive coach and somebody could see potential in me and he is going to get the most out of me, so I am going to give him my all,” Bynum said. “I want to learn something new every single day. I will be in that playbook.”

He feels the style that Zimmer employs will suit him just fine.

“I know they run a lot of two-high,” he said. “During the interviews they asked about two-high. That is something I started doing already and it is something we do a lot at Cal so I will be familiar with the communication at safety. I am excited for that.”

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Bynum said he went into the weekend with no idea of where he might be taken. “I kept my head out of the mock drafts,” he said.

And that is a good thing, because his head would have been spinning. One mock draft had him going as high as the late first round. Others had him not getting taken at all, but most had him about where he ended up.

“I am blessed to be drafted, and by Minnesota,” he said. “I was super excited when I got the call. I don’t even know who called, it could have been a friend. It doesn’t matter.”

Bynum is the third Cal DB to be drafted in the last two years. Ashtyn Davis and Jaylinn Hawkins were chosen last year. Bynum said no one should be surprised. “I think it is just the culture we set in the DB room,” Bynum said. “We kind of set the expectations for each other. We did so much work outside the facility on our own, and that just built the bonds. Our expectation is just to be great. So having Ashtyn drafted and JayHawk and then me and then Tre (Traveon) Beck hopefully get his call this year (he didn’t, but free agency is an option).

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Bynum making a tackle

“It is something that we work for. We expect things to come out of our hard work.”

Beck and fellow DB Elijah Hicks were among those gathered at the Bear Lake cabin Bynum had rented for the weekend. “Having them here for this moment brings us closer together,” Bynum said.

When the Pac-12 announced last summer that the 2020 season would be played in the spring of 2021, Bynum opted out. When the conference changed course and decided to play an abbreviated season in the fall, Bynum decided to play his fourth year at Cal. He is glad he did.

“I think just boosting my leadership, it put me in the position of being able to help more people,” he said. “We only had four games and I am not sure if that helped or hurt my draft stock, but it doesn’t matter to me. I was able to go back. There was a new group of freshmen that I was able to lead and teach them a couple of things before I left.”

Bynum said he intended to resume his workouts on Sunday and soon thereafter head to Minneapolis, a city he will be visiting for the first time. The thought of frigid midwestern winters did not bother him. 

“I am so excited I won’t need a sweater,” he said. 

He was also ready to begin his celebration.

“As soon as this is over I am going to go out and jump in the lake,” he announced. 

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