49ers roster: Javon Kinlaw must enact fierce retribution in 2022

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San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw (99) Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

Why Javon Kinlaw improves for 49ers in 2022

In short, there couldn’t be much better context for a bounce-back season from Javon Kinlaw this year.

At any rate, it’d be hard to match last year’s frustration in which he was shut down after playing just four games with those knee issues.

Javon Kinlaw Defense & Fumbles Table
			Game	Game	Def	Def	Def	Def	Def	Fumb		Tack	Tack	Tack	Tack	Tack
Year	Age	Tm	G	GS	Int	Yds	TD	Lng	PD	FF	Sk	Comb	Solo	Ast	TFL	QBHits
2020	23	SFO	14	12	1	27	1	27	4	0	1.5	33	15	18	3	4
2021	24	SFO	4	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0	8	1	7	0	1
Career	Career		18	16	1	27	1	27	4		1.5	41	16	25	3	5

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com
Generated 6/26/2022.

Merely playing more will be a massive uptick over last year’s efforts, and Kinlaw won’t have to be playing on a shorthanded defensive line either, especially with Pro Bowl EDGE Nick Bosa looking to pick up where he left off during his 15.5-sack 2021 campaign.

Yet the bigger impact might be felt by what the 49ers did midway through last season, moving defensive lineman Arik Armstead inside on a full-time basis. This was partially a response to the Niners losing Kinlaw, but the D-line took notable strides forward once Armstead changed over from defensive end.

This formidable one-two punch could easily afford Kinlaw the favorable opportunities San Francisco originally envisioned when it grabbed the 6-foot-5, 319-pound lineman. And while the sacks may not come at a torrid pace, Kinlaw’s sheer ability to collapse pockets may be the difference-maker that fully unlocks the 49ers’ D-line’s potential.