We had the opportunity to sit down with Kinlaw on Wednesday and talk about his career journey since the 49ers selected him.
Every offseason, teams must make tough decisions, from re-signing players to deciding which college prospects and coaches to retain.The San Francisco 49ers will pay Brandon Aiyuk this offseason.
The question is not if and how much.The player the Niners drafted before Aiyuk, Javon Kinlaw, had unrealistic expectations. Injuries robbed Kinlaw of a healthy rookie contract. After all, at 26 years old, we’ve seen most of Kinlaw’s impressions during his tenure as a Niner.
Signing players like Kinlaw and maintaining depth on the roster is the same as keeping your stars on the roster. We’ve seen championship rosters and windows close because injuries are inevitable, and if you don’t have depth, you won’t win in the NFL.
Kinlaw has been a valuable role player for the 49ers this season, stepping in as the starter when Arik Armstead or Javon Hargrave were unavailable.
Through the two playoff games, Kinlaw was the team’s most effective defensive lineman.I spoke with Javon on Wednesday to learn more about his game.
This is his fourth year, but 2023 was Kinlaw’s first healthy offseason. He said, “To be honest, last season was the first time I was able to work on my game since my rookie year.” From March through spring, most players are able to work on their passing technique or improve against the run. Kinlaw lived in rehab as a rookie.
He wasn’t given the opportunity to develop as a player.One of the biggest differences between college and the NFL is that during the season it is a pro-style affair. The off-season is the only time you can work on your craft. So last April, instead of running on the treadmill and doing physical therapy, Kinlaw played professionally for the first time.
The 49ers’ need for another last-second miracle deserves an in-depth lookHe is confident this will lead to him resembling the player we saw in the play-offs. “So who knows what next year will be like, and the year after, now that I’m finally healthy.” Another change from South Carolina to San Francisco is the style of play and what each team asks of its players.
With the Gamecocks, Kinlaw was more of a read-and-react type of player. But the 49ers are mostly about shooting the ball, keeping their ears back and being aggressive. Kinlaw plays both 1-technique and 3-technique for the Niners.
I asked him if where he plays on the field affects his production: “Honestly, our technology is all the same. You’re just trying to attack, to penetrate. Again, being healthy has allowed me to delve deeper into the offensive side of defense.
In college I didn’t really feel like I knew what it was. We played defense, but at the same time attack. “These are actually two different languages. In South Carolina it was “if they do this, do that.” Now the person in front of Kinlaw no longer matters.
When the 49ers say, “It’s all on us,” that philosophy also applies to the defensive line and their tactics. Kinlaw said: “Now it doesn’t matter what they do. Go here and attack them. And I finally had time to work on it. Work at it, work at it, work at it.
Repetition after repetition after repetition. It is especially at this time of year that it pays off.”Kinlaw leads all defensive tackles in tackles during the playoffs. He has one more tackle than Justin Madubuike of the Baltimore Ravens despite him playing 50 fewer snaps.
Kinlaw also ranks second in win percentage as a pass rusher at his position, trailing only Vita Vea in the postseason.
So he’s not wrong when he says his work is paying off. When I asked him if he felt different as a player, Tying Kinlaw attributed his progress to his health. He said: “Honestly, it’s all about muscle memory.
The more you can stack, the better. What can you do if you get injured, like I did last year, and miss 12 weeks like last year? »
