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2020 NFL Draft: 5 players 49ers can acquire with No. 13 overall pick

By Josh Altorfer

TUSCALOOSA, AL - SEPTEMBER 21: Henry Ruggs III #11 of the Alabama Crimson Tide runs for a 45-yard touchdown in the first quarter after catching a pass behind D.Q. Thomas #12 of the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 21, 2019 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
TUSCALOOSA, AL - SEPTEMBER 21: Henry Ruggs III #11 of the Alabama Crimson Tide runs for a 45-yard touchdown in the first quarter after catching a pass behind D.Q. Thomas #12 of the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 21, 2019 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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South Carolina Gamecocks
Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina Gamecocks (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) /

No. 5: Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina

NFL Comparison: Gerald McCoy, DT, DAL Cowboys

The consensus best prospect at defensive tackle is Derrick Brown from Auburn. The Niners likely won’t have a shot to acquire him as almost every mock draft has him off the board inside the top 10.

Coming in at a close second is South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw. Similar to Brown, Kinlaw wreaked havoc on offenses in college football’s toughest conference, the SEC. The 6-foot-5, 324 pounder is the type of athletic defender John Lynch looks for in an interior lineman.

Kinlaw’s technique is similar to former No. 3 overall pick Gerald McCoy. He uses his power and strength to push the offensive line back and shorten the distance between himself and the quarterback. He also has a knack for getting his hands up and batting balls if he fails to get close to the passer.

Now, a swap of the force of nature DeForest Buckner for an unproven rookie in Kinlaw might upset some 49ers fans, but let’s dive a bit deeper.

Moving on from Buckner for $21 million per year to Kinlaw on a rookie contract is a move that would make the great New England Patriots head coach, Bill Belichick, smile and nod in approval.

The Niners were able to offer contract extensions to its 2019 sack leader, Arik Armstead, and safety Jimmie Ward. This likely would not have been possible if the team decided it wanted to lock up Buckner in the future.

Keeping Armstead and Ward while adding Kinlaw makes more sense than retaining just Buckner.

Kinlaw would add great depth to arguably the best defensive line in the entire NFL if the 49ers decide to use the pick they got for Buckner to help replace him.