With the, 14th pick!?

"With the 14th pick, in the 2020 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers select Javon Kinlaw, Defensive Tackle, South Carolina." After trading back one spot with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, many people expected the Niners to take one of the big name WR's that were still on the board. However, the team surprised a lot of people last month when they used yet another first round pick to bolster the defensive line. We were not surprised. We are ecstatic! We know the 49ers got the best option to plug and play as a replacement for Deforest Buckner, at a fraction of the cost. Now that the 49ers got their man, let's take a look at what he brings to the table.

Elite Ball Get off and Power

Kinlaw is incredibly quick off the ball. He doesn't move like a guy who weighs over 320 pounds. As soon as the ball is snapped, he is in the chest of the offensive lineman here. Then he's so overwhelmingly powerful he just moves the offensive lineman at will. It's almost like he's taking out the trash. He lifts the lid with one hand and does the rest with his other half. Impressive DDT here. He diagnoses, disengages and tackles. Some scouts call it a weakness of his, but we know that he's an underrated run defender. His film is full of plays like this.

HE EATS UP BLOCKS

This is what teams had to do to neutralize him in college, double him. If they didn't double him, they would tend to suffer. One on one, Kinlaw can beat just about anyone, but when he is getting double and triple teammed, we are reminded that he is mortal after all. However, whenever the offense has to commit more than one player to a guy to get him blocked, it is surely a good thing for the defense. This is the basic mathematics of the game that demonstrate how a play is usually won or lost. The game within the game that happens on every play, it's football at it's simplest form. The stat sheet will never tell the whole story with a player like Kinlaw, but it's these basic "two or more vs. one" scenarios where we can see the value of a player in plain sight.

Wins with Leverage

When he gets leverage, he makes people look bad. He will be coached to be more consistent at staying low in the pros. That's not always easy for a man his size, but Kinlaw has shown the ability to get lower than the man in front of him and move them out of the way. He runs right through the center here. He might as well have stepped on him on his way to the QB. Just complete domination.

Versatility on the D-Line

Kinlaw has good lateral quickness and agility. He's more than can be handled here on the stunt. The head of steam that he has built up basically turns the lineman sideways almost upon impact. That guy doesn't stand a chance. When the QB tries to evade the blitzer's pass rush, Kinlaw is there to bag him up. We can see Javon working well with our speedy linebackers and Arik Armstead, not to mention Nick Bosa and Dee Ford on the edges. The opposition literally can't block everybody. The 49ers defense will be very good again in 2020.

Experience vs Future Pros and Elite Competition

Kinlaw produced consistently in the SEC vs pro level talent. Here he is against Clemson guard John Simpson, who is now a Las Vegas Raider. Two plays in a row, Kinlaw gets the best of Simpson. We're not very high on the Raiders new guard, but he's a good measuring stick. Many guards that Kinlaw will face in the NFL are no better. Kinlaw is going to be every bit as good as advertised because his competition at the next level will not be much better than what's on tape. He's also likely to improve quite a bit with proper tutelage. A great work ethic paired with elite traits, Kinlaw is as pro-ready as DT's come, but he's barely scratched the surface in terms of what he can do. With a coach like Chris Kocurek, don't be surprised if Kinlaw is in the defensive rookie of the year discussion.

Hussle Player / Hard Worker

The thing that's easy to love about this kid is he's a hard worker. Watch him stay with this play all the way. He helps string this play out and keeps working. He eventually makes the tackle, almost at the sideline. Again, DDT. After a lot of hard work, he diagnoses, disengages and makes the tackle.

Powerful Upper Body

Kinlaw is a really big man, with a powerful upper body. He has really strong arms, and he's a powerful hand fighter. His initial pop is very overpowering and then his counter moves come with respectable polish. Here he is with a nice pop and swim move on the first rep, and then, on the 2nd rep it's pop and rip through the defender. He's already got some effective moves, and he's only gonna get better. That's a scary thought for every team in the NFL that doesn't wear red and gold on Sundays.

Creates Opportunities for Teammates to Make Plays

One of the things Deforest Buckner was great at for the team was occupying blocks and clearing space so his teammates could make plays. The 49ers got a player who will continue to do this for them in Kinlaw. Here he absolutely wrecks this play with his penetration and creates a lane for his LB to run right through and make the play. With our LB corps speed, this will allow for plenty of TFL's in the stat column.

Best Suited at 3T

We like him at 3 Tech, one on one with guards. Like a lot of players, when he's stuck in the middle he gets double and triple teamed. Sometimes he gets neutralized because of that. Any player would. So, we like him where his versatility really shines, and where he can win one on one matchups. While he can play inside, we want to see it less often in the pros.

He Disrupts Plays

Even when he is double and triple teamed he can still collapse the pocket and make the play. He is what we like to call a "99 Pursuit Guy." He gives great effort through the whole play, and he doesn't give up until it's over. He plays hard even in a blowout.

High Impact Player

Kinlaw is going to be a high impact player from day one. He belongs on a great defense like the 49ers. He is instrumental in the following goal line stand. Without Kinlaw the offense comes away with six here. He's instrumental in all four of these stops whether it be directly, or indirectly.

We predicted the 49ers would take Kinlaw at pick 13 for a reason. He's a plug and play, day one starter. We lost a great player in Buckner, but the team did well in looking to Kinlaw to fill some of that void, and they made a savvy trade in the process with the Bucs. Even with Kinlaw, it will likely take a team effort to replace a player like Buck. We can expect some growing pains, and some times where we miss him out there, but we're now well equipped to move on without him. Javon is an excellent fit and will come at a fraction of the cost that Buckner would have cost to keep him. It was really a no brainer pick, given the depth of the receiver class this year. The depth of the draft at DT behind Kinlaw, wasn't as rich with top end talent as the receiver class was. We believe that there was a big drop off after Kinlaw. The 49ers got the best DT in the draft, to shore up their defense.