San Francisco 49ers rookie defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw didn't walk away from his NFL debut with gaudy statistics. He was credited with just one tackle during Sunday's loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Still, Pro Football Focus graded the young defender as the fourth-best 49ers player from Week 1 and felt he had the third-best debut by an NFL rookie.
NFL Media analyst Brian Baldinger was impressed by Kinlaw's performance against the Cardinals and shared a little film breaking down why he feels that way. He called the young defender an "incredible prospect with unlimited upside."
That is some high praise for a young defender.
"I think the best way to describe Javon Kinlaw's NFL debut is: He flashed," Baldinger said in his video posted to Twitter. "... He's got tremendous power, tremendous lower-body strength."
.@49ers @JavonKinlaw flashed on Sunday. He already is learning moves when most rookie DL take a year to figure the NFL game out. This is an incredible prospect with unlimited upside. This movement I am showing you is evidence that he is learning rapidly. WK 2 👍 #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/W4GvyGN0hj
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) September 17, 2020
Added Baldinger: "Kinlaw, I'm looking forward to Week 2."
Just watching the breakdown, you can't help but be impressed with the rookie.
Baldinger has been praising Kinlaw since the draft, and his latest narrative only backs that up. The analyst felt that Kinlaw had a chance to be the best defensive player from this newest class of rookies.
"I don't know that any one player, even at the NFL level, can handle him one-on-one," Baldinger told The Athletic in May. "I think he's just too powerful."
H/t to Patrick Tulini for the find.