Deommodore Lenoir, 4 other 49ers who shined vs. Vikings

No. 3 49ers player who shined vs. Vikings: Javon Kinlaw

Head coach Kyle Shanahan elected to rest most of his starters, yet third-year defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw nevertheless got the start.

And it’s probably safe to say he was the best player on the field when San Francisco’s defense was deployed over the first half.

The Vikings’ B-list offensive line had no business shutting Kinlaw down, and it’s perfectly apparent the 2020 first-round draft pick is taking massive strides from the inconsistent rookie year and injury-plagued 2021 campaign with what he’s done thus far this preseason.

Including recording a sack on Kellen Mond, the only one the 49ers boasted Saturday:

Kinlaw, who had only 1.5 sacks his rookie year and none the following campaign, is made all the more potent in tandem with Nick Bosa and Drake Jackson. Sure, Kinlaw was going up against primarily reserves and backups during his near two quarters’ worth of play.

Yet he should be expected to dominate in such a situation, and that’s precisely what he did.