4 current SF 49ers who’ll be postseason studs soon

No. 3: SF 49ers Defensive Tackle Javon Kinlaw

In some ways, the Niners’ top pick from the 2020 NFL Draft, defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, had something of a frustrating season where the raw stats didn’t show up.

Kinlaw’s first few weeks were inconsistent, and they weren’t made better by the injury losses of players like Nick Bosa and fellow EDGE Dee Ford, meaning Kinlaw and defensive end Arik Armstead essentially became the best players along San Francisco’s banged-up defensive line.

Look for all that to change in 2021.

Towards the end of the year, Kinlaw flashed some big-play ability, which is what one would expect from a top pick in the draft. Between Weeks 10 and 12, Kinlaw registered his 1.5 sacks and notched three quarterback hits.

And he also added that memorable pick-six interception against the LA Rams:

Those are the kind of plays big-time players must make in the playoffs, and Kinlaw’s development over his rookie season showed he’s more than capable of doing so.

Now, all he’ll need is the opportunity.

With a healthy dose of Bosa, Armstead and hopefully Ford, Kinlaw could wind up being the beneficiary of added chances within a still-stacked SF 49ers D-line.