The 49ers’ selection of South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw has to be viewed with the big picture in mind. Doing so earns the team an A- grade for the pick.
San Francisco opened a chasm on their defensive line when they traded DeForest Buckner to the Colts for the No. 13 pick. But that move was the first in a series of maneuvers that all tie together. Acquiring Kinlaw was the next step.
In a vacuum, he wasn’t the most productive or talented player on the board. The 49ers eschewed Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy for the big defensive tackle. Those two players didn’t fit the long-term vision though.
San Francisco rode a stout defensive line to a Super Bowl last season, then put a giant puncture in that line with a trade early in the offseason. Now they add Kinlaw to help fill that void, and they have him under contract for cheap across the next five years while he develops into a dominant defensive tackle.
Given the success the 49ers had with their depth along the defensive line last season and the efforts of defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, the path connecting Kinlaw to his ceiling is pretty clear – and that ceiling is at least as high as Buckner’s.
The 49ers certainly could’ve addressed other needs at the 14th pick, but the reasoning behind the selection and the situation Kinlaw is entering in Santa Clara make it hard to not be excited about his future along San Francisco’s defensive front.
