Overview
Position: Defensive Tackle
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 315 pounds
School: South Carolina Gamecocks
Javon Kinlaw 2020 NFL Draft Profile
Every year, there are those players who took the junior college route as part of their pathway towards becoming highly valued pro prospects. Javon Kinlaw fits into that mold. He tallied four sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss in one season at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, MS. It led to Rivals ranking him a top-30 defensive tackle prospect in the 2017 recruiting class. He received three Power Five scholarship offers including one from Alabama. But he ultimately committed to South Carolina ahead of signing day.
Kinlaw contributed immediately once he arrived on campus. He started 10 games as a true sophomore and accounted for 20 tackles, two TFLs, three pass breakups, and even a blocked punt. The following year, he truly announced himself as an elite defensive tackle in the SEC. He led the Gamecocks with 4.5 sacks and added 10 tackles for loss as well as five pass breakups en route to sharing team defensive MVP honors with T.J. Brunson. Kinlaw added six sacks and another blocked kick during his senior year and ended up earning Associated Press first-team All-American honors as well as first-team All-SEC recognition from the league’s coaches.
Strengths
- looks the part of an NFL-caliber interior defender with an ideal frame for the position;
- exceptional width with above-average arm length;
- gets his hands into the right position to put opposing linemen on their heels;
- film reveals a powerful bull rush;
- speed to power conversion often necessitates double-teams;
- above-average lateral athleticism allows him to seamlessly attack the gaps;
- highly experienced with plenty of starter-level reps in college;
- a scheme versatile prospect who can play in both even and odd fronts.
Weaknesses
- pad level tends to suffer which inhibits leverage;
- not the quickest get-off once the ball’s snapped;
- ability to generate leverage hindered by poor pad level;
- relies too much on winning with raw strength rather than trying to elude laterally;
- a bit one-dimensional as a pass-rusher;
- stays too glued to blockers, giving ball-carriers easy gap openings;
- overall pass-rushing technique needs refinement.
NFL Comparison: Leonard Williams
Teams With Need at Position: Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles
Projection: Mid-first round
Bottom Line
Over his three years in Columbia, Kinlaw certainly established himself as one of the SEC’s top interior defensive linemen. He has physical traits that many of the top players in the NFL who dominate at this role possess. He made 34 starts during his college career so he boasts plenty of experience. And in that time, he consistently forced negative plays in the backfield. He also showcased impressive awareness at the line of scrimmage by getting his hands in the air, breaking up a combined eight passes as a Gamecock.
But Kinlaw does have work to do if he wants to consistently make an impact at the next level. In particular, he must refine his ability to win at the point of attack in a way commensurate with what he’s capable of from a strength standpoint. That entails playing with better pad level in order to generate the leverage necessary to dominate opponents at the line of scrimmage. If he can work on these kinds of things, there’s no doubt that he can develop into not just a regular starter, but a Pro Bowl-caliber player at the next level. It’s for that reason that it won’t be long before he comes off the board on day one of the draft.
