While at Arkansas, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw remembers watching from the sideline during one game in 2017 and watching a talented South Carolina defensive front help the Gamecocks beat his Razorbacks 48-22.
Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw was on that opposing roster.
Greenlaw joined KNBR on Tuesday and discussed what he remembers from that game, and what he thinks about his new rookie teammate.
"I remember watching the (South Carolina) defense, and they just had a really, really good, strong defense, and some guys that flew around," Greenlaw told Greg Papa and John Lund. "And up front, they were just huge. Then after we drafted [Kinlaw], I went back and watched his tape, and he's an aggressive guy, big guy that's going to fit perfect in our defense."
The 49ers made Kinlaw the No. 14 overall pick after trading away Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner in March. The departure of Buckner came as a shock to many of his teammates, but it became clear that San Francisco wasn't going to be able to meet his future salary demands without some serious salary-cap implications.
"It's definitely going to be hard replacing Buck," Greenlaw continued, "but I've got [a lot of] faith in John Lynch and Coach Shanahan that they're going to pick the right guys, and they did. So I think he's going to be a big add to our defense, and just his physicality and speed is going to fit perfect."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Greenlaw below.