SF 49ers: 5 biggest surprises early in 2020 so far
By Peter Panacy
Surprise No. 3: How well SF 49ers’ top two NFL Draft picks are playing
It would have been understandable if both the Niners’ top picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, struggled a lot early to kick off their respective rookie campaigns.
After all, amid a pandemic-shortened offseason with no minicamps, OTAs or a preseason, any first-year player is going to be at a disadvantage. Aiyuk, in particular, wasn’t helped by suffering a hamstring injury during training camp, which cut into his already-thin time learning the complexities of Kyle Shanahan’s offense. All those injuries along the defensive line haven’t made Kinlaw’s life any easier, either.
To date, however, Aiyuk already has 178 total yards from scrimmage to go along with two touchdowns over just three games played. And his leaping rush touchdown in Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles was a thing of beauty:
Kinlaw, despite some struggles in training camp, owns a very respectable 69.7 overall Pro Football Focus grade on the year.
It would have been understandable if either one of San Francisco’s top two rookies would have struggled early. But they aren’t, and all signs are pointing to them being integral parts of the Niners squad for years to come.