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Yes, they play different positions and will be asked to do different things this season. Still, veteran pass rusher Dee Ford sees similarities between incoming rookie defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw and pass rusher
Nick Bosa, who was a rookie last year.
Ford was asked about Kinlaw during a video conference call on Thursday.
"Everything that you want to see in a rookie — he wants to be a sponge, he wants to soak everything up, and he wants to learn," Ford said. "He reminds me of Bosa when he came in. He didn't say too much. When you're a first-round draft pick ... you can be a little entitled. That's not him. That's not (in) his DNA.
"He fits in well with the guys. When you come here, John (Lynch) and Kyle (Shanahan), they get specific players, so nine times out of ten, if they got him, they brought him here, they know what type of character they have. And so far, he's been everything as promised, and he's going to get better."
Kinlaw is at a bigger disadvantage than Bosa, though. Bosa dealt with some offseason injuries last year but was able to meet face-to-face with his coaches and teammates throughout the process of picking up the defense for the first time.
The coronavirus pandemic has severely limited Kinlaw's offseason. Training camp was his first time stepping foot inside the 49ers facilities in Santa Clara.
"He's behind the eight ball; every rookie is because of the virus and all that," Ford explained. "You can't get OTAs. OTAs were crucial for me, especially with learning a new position my rookie year. I can only imagine where his mind is right now, but he's handling it very well. He's going to be really good."
The good news is that the simplicity of the defensive scheme will benefit Kinlaw.
"It's going to be a challenge as far as trying to apply it to different offense and different games, but this defense is simple," Ford said. "They're not going to give him too much. 'They,' as in coach Kris (Kocurek) and (Robert) Saleh. They're not going to put too much on his plate.
"They're going to simplify, and they're going to bring him along. He's going to be able to do what he does best. He can rush the passer, and he's a big dude, so he can plug up some gaps and make plays in the run game.
"They're going to give him chances and opportunities to do what he does best. They're not going to overload him too much, mentally. So I don't worry about him."
The San Francisco 49ers hold the No. 31 overall pick, but speculation abounds that they may seek to move before or during the first round of next week's NFL Draft. With the offensive line as a prime target for improvement and the position going mostly ignored in free agency, a strategic trade-up to acquire an impact player could be in the cards.
Alyssa Barbieri proposes such a scenario in her latest mock draft for USA Today's Touchdown Wire. Barbieri envisions the 49ers trading with the Miami Dolphins to move up 10 spots, selecting former Alabama offensive lineman JC Latham.
Latham started 27 games
Steph Sanchez and MLFootball report that the San Francisco 49ers hosted former Georgia safety Javon Bullard on a pre-draft visit yesterday.
🚨EXCLUSIVE: Georgia star safety Javon Bullard had a TOP-30 visit with the San Francisco #49ers yesterday, sources tell @_MLFootball & @Steph49K. Bullard, 21-years-old is a very good athlete and is great in coverage.
Former NFL wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh claims to have recently spoken to Brandon Aiyuk, stating that the star player has no desire to leave the San Francisco 49ers.
Aiyuk and the 49ers are currently negotiating a contract extension, aiming to finalize a new deal. Of course, that hasn't prevented significant media speculation surrounding Aiyuk's future, with many wondering if the delay might hint at a potential trade.
Well-informed 49ers fans know that the team typically finalizes its significant contract extensions closer to training camp, as seen with George Kittle in 2020, Fred Warner in 2021, and Deebo Samuel in 2022. Last year, negotiations with Nick Bosa concluded just days before Week
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
