Podcast: 49ers & NFC West Free Agency Updates →
Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports


49ers draft South Carolina DT Javon Kinlaw at No. 14 overall after trade

Apr 23, 2020 at 6:59 PM--


The San Francisco 49ers selected South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw with the No. 14 overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft.

San Francisco traded down to this spot from No. 13, also giving up the No. 245 overall pick while gaining the No. 117 overall selection.

Buccaneers get: Pick 13, 245 (Rd. 7)
49ers get: Pick 14, 117 (Rd. 4)

Kinlaw racked up 10 sacks in his final two years with the Gamecocks while adding 65 tackles, 15 for a loss, seven passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries during those seasons. He joins a defensive line that saw the departure of Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner but features talented pass rushers in Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, Dee Ford, and others.


Kinlaw was recently asked which team he most hopes calls his name during the draft.

"If I had to say...I'd say the 49ers," Kinlaw responded.

Added Kinlaw: "They just a wonderful group of guys, a talented group that works together. They work together for the same goal, not individual achievements, and that's to get the win at the end of the day. That's what I want to be a part of, someone who looks at it as a whole."


The 49ers provided the following bio on Kinlaw:

Appeared in 37 games (34 starts) in three seasons at South Carolina (2017-19) and registered 93 tackles, 18.0 TFLs, 3 FFs, and 4 FRs. As a senior in 2019, named Associated Press First-Team All-America, starting all 12 games in which he appeared and registering 35 tackles, 6.0 sacks and 2 FRs. In 2018, started all 12 games in which he appeared, registering 38 tackles, 10.0 TFLs, and a team-high 4.5 sacks. Transferred to South Carolina in 2017 where he played in 13 games (10 starts) and recorded 20 tackles, 2.0 TFLS, 2 FRs, and 1 FF. As a freshman in 2016 at Jones County (Ellisville, MS) Junior College, recorded 26 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, and 4.5 sacks.

Kinlaw didn't work out at the NFL Scouting Combine in February because of knee tendinitis. His pro day was supposed to be an opportunity for the defensive tackle to show off his athleticism and respond to questions, but it, among many others, was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Below is the NFL.com draft profile bio on Kinlaw:

Kinlaw showed great promise at Jones County Junior College in 2016, garnering second-team Junior College All-America honors (26 tackles, 8.5 for loss, four sacks in nine games). He got his body into shape after arriving in Columbia, though, shedding 40 pounds so he could contribute in all 13 games as a sophomore for the Gamecocks (20 tackles, two for loss, three pass breakups, one blocked kick, 10 starts). Kinlaw started 12 games in 2018, sharing the team's Defensive MVP award (38 tackles, 10 for loss, 4.5 sacks, five pass breakups). He missed the Belk Bowl, however, as he recovered from hip surgery. Kinlaw reached his potential as a senior, earning first-team Associated Press All-America and first-team All-SEC honors even though his defensive production (35 tackles, six sacks in 12 starts) did not exactly match how dominant he was at times.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, who compares Kinlaw to Michael Brockers, wrote the following about Kinlaw within his scouting report:

For a player with so many elite physical traits, Kinlaw's tape was much more inconsistent than expected. He had moments where he was able to use his size, length and power to overwhelm opponents, but poor pad level and an inability to harness his energy coming off the snap led to body control and balance issues that prevented him from reaching his full potential. He can be a disruptive force along the interior with that explosive first step and freaky physical gifts, but utilizing his heavy hands and plus length as a read-and-react 3-4 end might allow for improved technique, control and consistency. No matter the front, Kinlaw's traits and potential could make him a solid starter early in his career.

Benjamin Solak of The Draft Network wrote the following about Kinlaw within his scouting report:

Javon Kinlaw is a Day 1 target for any team looking to add a starter on the defensive line, and will be a high priority add for teams looking to increase their disruption up front. A hugely powerful athlete with a wicked first step, Kinlaw demolishes blocking schemes and pocket integrity with regularly. Kinlaw can 1-gap or 2-gap with equal success at the NFL level given his elite toolkit, and his potential as a pass-rusher is sky-high. Inconsistencies regarding Kinlaw's leverage and pass rush moves limit his ceiling as a one-on-one winner as an interior pass rusher, but by moving him around the line and sticking him in gaps, you'll get quality pass rush ability in Year 1. Kinlaw is a candidate for Pro Bowl bids the moment he steps on the field, and has the physical tools of the top defensive tackles in the league if he continues to grow.

Measurables


Height: 6-5
Weight: 324 lbs.
Arm length: 34 7/8 inches
Hand length: 10 1/2 inches

College Statistics
Year School Class G Solo Ast Tot Loss Sk
2017 South Carolina SO 7 12 5 17 2.0 0.0
2018 South Carolina JR 10 15 15 30 9.0 4.0
2019 South Carolina SR 12 15 20 35 6.0 6.0
Total South Carolina 42 40 82 17.0 10.0

Personal


  • Attended Goose Creek (Charleston, SC) HS where he recorded 40 tackles as a senior in 2015.
  • Studied interdisciplinary studies at South Carolina.
  • Son of George Kinlaw and Leesa James-Exum.
  • Born Javon Kinlaw (10/3/97) in Washington, D.C.
  • His first name is pronounced juh-VONN.
  • Kinlaw and his family faced financial uncertainty throughout his childhood, as they often moved from place to place in order to make ends meet. "You definitely can't give up on yourself," Kinlaw said. "I didn't really expect myself to be here. I didn't expect myself to be a collegiate athlete, but I stuck with it."
  • Leesa James-Exum, Kinlaw's mother, immigrated to Washing- ton D.C. from Trinidad and Tobago in 1995.
  • Played with older brother, Caleb, at South Carolina from 2017- 2019.
  • After not participating in Pop Warner as a kid, Kinlaw's football career began as a sophomore at Goose Creek (Charleston, SC) HS.

Next: Round 1, Pick 25: Arizona State WR Brandon Aiyuk

Related News





LISTEN

Facebook Comments



More San Francisco 49ers News



49ers have no plans to trade Javon Kinlaw, per report

By David Bonilla
Mar 23

The San Francisco 49ers plan to hold onto defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw for the fourth and final year of his rookie deal. According to Cam Inman of Bay Area News Group, who spoke with general manager John Lynch on Wednesday at Stanford's pro day, the team has no plans to trade the former first-round pick. Some wondered about Kinlaw's future after the 49ers signed former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Javon Hargrave to a four-year, $84 million deal. To many, the move seemingly signaled an admission that trading DeForest Buckner in 2020



49ers' free-agency pursuit surprised Javon Hargrave

By David Bonilla
Mar 16

Javon Hargrave was nervous heading into free agency. He knew he would get paid but was concerned that he might have to sacrifice success in the process. The defensive tackle had just been to a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles. Often, the teams with the most money to spend are the ones that are rebuilding. Things appear to have worked out beautifully for Hargrave. "Sometimes when you're trying to go get the money, you have to go to a team that's in a rebuild mode," Hargrave said. "But if you've got a chance to go to a team that was just in the NFC Championship, that's kind of an easy choice for me. So I was real happy about it. "It really made me happy because I was real nervous about free agency, on where I was going to have to go. But I feel



Javon Hargrave loved "everything but the taxes" in deal to join 49ers

By David Bonilla
Mar 17

After a very productive season with the Philadelphia Eagles, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave earned a big payday with the San Francisco 49ers, signing a four-year deal worth up to $84 million. That is life-changing money for the 30-year-old. Hargrave joined KNBR on Friday to discuss the move from Philly to the Bay Area. "I was talking to them before I even signed, and one thing I even told him, even the players that had [contacted] me was just it ain't really too much convincing you all can do," Hargrave said. "You ain't really got to convince me. I guess they thought I was playing at the time, but it ain't really hard to convince when you go into a team that's built on winning, and one, they trying to come pay me big money." Going from one stacked



Javon Hargrave: 49ers-Eagles would have been a different game with a healthy Brock Purdy

By David Bonilla
Mar 17

Everything changed in the NFC Championship Game when quarterback Brock Purdy exited early with an injury. He eventually returned because his backup, Josh Johnson, exited with a concussion. Purdy could not throw, though. He suffered a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow, leaving the San Francisco 49ers to become one-dimensional, abandoning the pass and depending solely on the run game. For fans, it was a difficult game to watch. Everyone anticipated a more evenly matched battle between the two best teams in the NFC. Instead, they got an Eagles powerhouse defense going against a limping 49ers offense. "We kind of knew it was going to be different when all you can do is run the ball," former Eagles defensive tackle Javon Hargrave said


Featured

Trending News

Share 49ersWebzone