4 players 49ers must put on trade block during 2023 NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: 49ers defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw
OK, you’re probably going to hear this a bunch between now and Week 1 of the regular season, and it’ll likely stay atop 49ers headlines until the 2023 NFL trade deadline, too.
Either way, the Niners’ acquisition of former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Javon Hargrave does not spell good news for fellow defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw’s future with San Francisco.
Kinlaw, the 2022 first-round pick, probably won’t have his fifth-year option picked up, and that should shock nobody after he appeared in only 10 regular-season games over the last two seasons because of injuries.
Read More: What Javon Hargrave signing means for Javon Kinlaw
Granted, those setbacks haven’t exactly been his fault. But it’s safe to say the 49ers haven’t received the kind of return on investment for which they were hoping.
The Niners will have to take a loss on Kinlaw, yes. Yet getting another team to eat his fourth-year salary while offering up even a late day-three pick would be a massive win for John Lynch and Co. while opening up a roster spot for another reserve player with a better health record to back up Hargrave.