San Francisco 49ers select Javon Kinlaw in 2020 NFL Draft: Grading the pick
The San Francisco 49ers added Javon Kinlaw to an area of strength with the No. 14 overall pick after trading back. Grading the pick.
With the 14th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers selected defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw out of South Carolina. Kinlaw had six sacks last year and is a good interior line rush prospect. For San Francisco, he is a good fit for their defense and should thrive in their system.
Kinlaw is a big lineman at 6-6 and 310 pounds. He was considered the number two interior line prospect behind Derrick Brown and he was more explosive than Brown in the passing game. He finished his college career with 10 sacks and 17 tackles for loss in three seasons of substantial play.
Kinlaw provides good athleticism and quickness for his size. He plays faster than he looks and he also looks leaner than he is when just looking at his upper body. If he can realize his potential, he can be a disruptive force in the NFL.
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The 49ers originally had the 13th pick which they received in a trade by sending defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts. They traded a spot down, picked up a fourth-round pick, and drafted Buckner’s replacement in Kinlaw.
Like Buckner, Kinlaw is tall for a lineman but plays with good leverage and will be able to interchangeable between tackle in a four-man front and end in a three-man front. Kinlaw is rawer than Buckner was at this stage but he provides great value for the pick.
People might wonder why San Francisco would trade Buckner and then basically replace him with Kinlaw. If it all works out, Kinlaw can give them something comparable to Buckner in his first season or two and then the same production or more in seasons three through five.
All of this would happen at just a fraction of the cost of what Buckner will be making on his new blockbuster four-year, $84 million contract.
Pick Analysis. South Carolina. 42. Scouting Report. DT. Javon Kinlaw. A. player
For the 49ers, the defensive line has become a core developmental piece to their defense. While some people will wonder why they didn’t draft Jerry Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb, Kinlaw is a safer pick for the team. They have done a great job in turning first-round defensive line draft picks into game-changers.
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In a draft deep at the receiver position, they felt more comfortable drafting to their strength which was part of the team’s strength during their Super Bowl run. Kinlaw has a whole world of potential and the 49ers will be able to get all of it out of him. Add in the fourth-round pick they attained from switching one spot with Tampa Bay, and John Lynch should feel good about this one.