49ers rookie Javon Kinlaw’s self scouting report: ‘I’d be lying if I thought it was good’
Javon Kinlaw’s first one-on-one reps against left guard Laken Tomlinson didn’t go very well.
Tomlinson, a first-round draft pick in 2015, has steadily become one of the league’s better guards since being acquired from the 49ers in a trade with the Detroit Lions in 2017. He also happens to be one of San Francisco’s strongest players in the weight room — and certainly hasn’t been intimidated by the hulking Kinlaw during the first four sessions of training camp.
In those one-on-ones Sunday, Tomlinson handled the rookie with relative ease, using his immense lower-body strength to anchor into the ground and not allow Kinlaw to overpower him like he did to opponents at South Carolina last season.
“I’ll tell you what,” Kinlaw said Tuesday while revealing his new gold grill with a smile, “he wore me out the other day. I’m used to playing bully ball in college, but everybody here’s strong. And then, they’re playing with good pad level.”
Kinlaw and Tomlinson came closer to splitting their two reps against each other Tuesday. And while it’s clear Kinlaw, the No. 14 pick in the 2020 draft, has all the physical tools needed to become a good or possibly great NFL player, he’s very early in his process. He has a long way to go.
The fact is, Kinlaw has stood out more for his physical stature than play on the practice field, which shouldn’t be a surprise. It’s also difficult to stand out on a defensive line that features Nick Bosa, a leading contender for NFL Defensive player of the Year, and Dee Ford, who’s gotten off to a strong start to training camp after being hampered by injuries in 2019.
Kinlaw has worked primarily with the starters, which means going against the 49ers’ first-string offensive line. He hasn’t been the game-wrecking presence that DeForest Buckner was known to be with San Francisco, but it’s very early and he’ll have plenty of opportunity to hone his craft. That starts with improving his hand placement and lowering his pad level, he said.
It’s also not very easy to defend coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
“Like every rookie, it’s just a different feel when you get on the practice field, especially when you go against an offense like ours who moves at such a fast pace, who make you run as a defensive line,” defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said.
“It’s not a power game that you’ve got to play, it’s more of a speed game. For (Kinlaw), he’s like every rookie. It’s the fourth day of camp. Legs are probably getting a little bit heavier, but we’re excited to have him. He showed a lot of explosive movements through individual drills in the first 10 days and he is a very large human being, very powerful man. He just needs to continue to grind and lean on the veterans in that room and continue to get better every day.”
Kinlaw was asked Tuesday about his own assessment of his play through four practice sessions and offered a frank answer.
“I’d be lying if I thought it was good, but I’m making improvements, that’s the main thing. Just get better day by day, that’s it,” he said.
Kinlaw’s teammates have mentioned his eagerness to learn and absorb lessons from the experienced veterans who have varying skill sets.
Ford is known for his speed and ability to win on the edge. Bosa is considered an elite technician with his hands with a relentless motor. Arik Armstead is deceivingly strong and moves very well for an interior pass rusher.
“I come in and I’m looking and I’m like, ‘Dang, I’m the biggest guy,’ but just because I’m big, that doesn’t really mean nothing because everybody is strong, everybody is big. It’s all about technique for me now,” Kinlaw said.
As far as beating Tomlinson, the two hardly have an adversarial relationship. Kinlaw said Tomlinson has helped him acclimate to life as a pro despite not having a normal offseason because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And now Kinlaw is trying to hit the ground running to prepare for a big role in a truncated training camp with only a few weeks before the season opener.
“Lake (Laken) is the ultimate teammate,” Kinlaw said. “I appreciate him so much for everything that he really been telling me and putting me on game about.”
This story was originally published August 18, 2020 at 5:46 PM.
