MOBILE, Ala. _ Javon Kinlaw didn't have to come to the Senior Bowl.
He had already shown he was one of the top defensive tackles in the draft thanks to his three seasons at South Carolina. But he came anyway.
And that's how he found himself putting impressive move after move on offensive linemen in Mobile, Alabama, as NFL scouts, general managers and coaches, including the Panthers' Marty Hurney and Matt Rhule, watched on.
Kinlaw is the most talked about player at the Combine and the one catching the most eyes. But what made it worth coming to the Senior Bowl?
"I know I had a decent (senior) year, but I didn't really accomplish all of the goals I set out to accomplish, so I just feel like I have so much more to prove, so much more to show," Kinlaw said. "(I) just (want to) show that I can compete, just show that I can really work hard, (there are) moves I want to show because people think I rely on my bull rush so much, probably show off a couple moves."
His decision to take advantage of the opportunity at the Senior Bowl has paid off.
"Really, outside of Justin Herbert, Kinlaw is probably the top-rated guy coming into this game," Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy said. "(He's a) really explosive guy. He's just scratching the surface."
Kinlaw shared that he did meet with the Panthers this week, including Rhule, who's with almost his entire staff in Mobile to observe the week's practice. The Panthers invited him to meet with them again Wednesday night.
The 6-foot-6, 310-pound tackle is a product of South Carolina, where he was teammates and roommates with now-Panthers offensive lineman Dennis Daley.
"He's from Jamaica, I'm from Trinidad. We just hit it off," Kinlaw told The Observer. "He's from JuCo, I'm from JuCo, we played against each other in high school also. We've just always been tight, close."
Kinlaw said the pair talk almost every day and that they are like "brothers." He also shared that Daley has filled him in on what it's like to play for the Panthers.
"He just told me it's cool, it's very different than being in college because it's not easy (at South Carolina), because of the way we practice, the way (Gamecocks coach Will) Muschamp is, (Daley) said he liked it, though," Kinlaw said. "If he liked it, we're kind of the same person, so I'll probably like it."
The two have a special connection and it would "be lit," Kinlaw said, if they were on the same team.
According to Kinlaw that might not be just a pipe dream. He shared that he felt his time with the Panthers went well and was up-to-date on the team's situation with multiple defensive linemen entering free agency.
"No doubt, they liked me a whole lot. Most definitely," Kinlaw said. "They got some free agent guys, I definitely feel like (I could go) in there and make something happen for sure."
Reaching the NFL, especially as a first-round draft pick, would be a change of fortune for Kinlaw, who grew up around Charleston, S.C. He didn't have a conventional childhood, dealing with homelessness and poverty after emigrating to the United States from Trinidad and Tobago. He shared Tuesday his memories of with living without electricity or water and receiving only a pair of socks for Christmas.
He didn't realize at the time that it was different than how most kids in the U.S. grow up. But after attending Jones County Junior College, and then making it to South Carolina to play football, he's using it to help give him an edge.
"My mom, she's pretty much still homeless right now. I'm here. I'm trying to get it done. I'm trying to maximize every opportunity I have," Kinlaw said. "(It) just makes me play with an aggression, a different kind of aggression. People (are just) doing you wrong all your life, so football just became an outlet for that kind of stuff. Just been working in my favor honestly."
During one of the defensive linemen drills Wednesday at practice, Kinlaw went all-in, knocking over and tackling one of the dummies when he was supposed to be just picking it up.
His first potential slight of the week came Wednesday when his practice was cut short due to an apparent injury to his left leg suffered in team drills. The lineman slightly limped off the field at the end of the night.
Kinlaw's stats don't light up a page. As a senior this fall, he was named AP All-American, first-team All-SEC and had six sacks and two fumble recoveries in 12 games. But the goal of the Senior Bowl week is to improve stock, and he has done that.
Could he go to the Panthers at seventh overall? Maybe not. But there's still plenty of draft season to go. Kinlaw is more than an amazing story. To hear him say it: "I just think I stick out like a sore thumb."
