49ers roster: 4 second-year players to watch most in 2021
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: 49ers Defensive Tackle Javon Kinlaw
On one hand, San Francisco’s top pick from the 2020 NFL Draft, defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, was promising during his rookie year. While raw and unrefined, it wasn’t hard to see why Kinlaw could be a pocket-wrecking force in short order.
On the other, Kinlaw’s 1.5 sacks and opportunistic pick-six touchdown suggested he wasn’t going to be the necessary replacement for the player he replaced, now-Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.
Especially when looking at Kinlaw’s pedestrian 54.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.
But there are plenty of reasons to be excited about Kinlaw’s second-year maturation. For starters, the 49ers get EDGE Nick Bosa back, and he’ll take a lot of the double-team blocking pressure Kinlaw had to deal with a lot his rookie year.
On top of that, a full regular offseason — something Kinlaw and no rookies enjoyed in 2020 because of the pandemic — should allow the former South Carolina standout to hone his technique, refine his hand movement and work on his finesse instead of just wanting to overpower blockers with his brute strength.
And while Kinlaw might not end up being the same caliber player as Buckner, there’s an excellent chance the former winds up being a key cog on the defense for years to come.
2021 should reveal a lot.