Javon Kinlaw has a Prime Opportunity to Shine for the 49ers
Javon Kinlaw is coming off an impressive two sack performance against the Eagles. He now gets a prime opportunity to shine for the 49ers the next two weeks.
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00:00 All of a sudden, Javon Kinlaw is back in the spotlight.
00:04 He was first-round pick, didn't live up to the draft status, but was hurt.
00:08 Hurt for like three years.
00:10 This year, he's been healthy the whole time, found a role as sort of like Eric Armstead's
00:15 backup, but now Armstead's out for a week and a half, or a week or two.
00:19 It looks like Javon Kinlaw will be starting, and the Niners are going to be relying on
00:25 him.
00:26 He's having a good year, especially as a pass rusher.
00:28 Now he's going to have to be a complete player, or he could be in a platoon.
00:35 But man, this is a great opportunity for him to sort of put the previous three years behind
00:42 him and create an entirely new narrative about who he is and what his future is.
00:48 How do you think Javon Kinlaw getting inserted into the starting lineup could change things?
00:54 I think it'd be good for him.
00:58 He's earned it.
00:59 I mean, he stayed low.
01:01 One thing that I like about Javon is that he's an extremely hard worker.
01:06 One thing is that even when he was going through his injury issues, he always did his part.
01:15 Transformed his body, lost weight, and looked amazing.
01:19 Gained weight, looked great.
01:22 You can always tell that he's been warring with himself or wanting to do more.
01:29 You can almost say that this is kind of an opportunity for him that is a bit ordained.
01:35 Everybody knows, or everybody should know, that Eric Armstead is one of Javon Kinlaw's
01:40 mentors.
01:41 They are very close.
01:44 You not only coming in to back up your OG or your homie, it's going to be something
01:52 for you not only to prove to yourself that you deserve the spot, but it's a right of
01:55 pass because Eric Armstead is going to be on the sideline watching you play.
01:59 This is a huge opportunity for Javon Kinlaw.
02:02 This is what's beautiful about football because it's the game within the game.
02:06 This is something where not only is he getting his chance to show that I am the type of player
02:11 that can play more than 20 snaps.
02:14 I'm not a package guy.
02:15 I can give you the full compliment of what a defensive line is supposed to give this
02:20 team at an elite level with stopping the run and being a pass rusher.
02:25 But I get to back up my mentor, the guy who's sought me through, who has given me counsel,
02:29 who's taught me basically essentially how to be a pro.
02:33 He's turning on.
02:36 If everything went the same way this season where Javon was backing up Eric Armstead and
02:42 coming in as a spot guy, I think that they will be thrilled with the trajectory if they
02:48 kept it just right here.
02:49 Now he's got the opportunity to go 10X.
02:53 Now you get a chance to start for two weeks, prove that not only should you be here, but
03:00 we can revitalize the real story about why Javon Kinlaw got drafted.
03:04 That was to replace DeForest Buckner.
03:06 That's what he got drafted for.
03:09 We're here to see him not only step into his rightful position on the team, back up one
03:16 of his mentors.
03:17 He should be motivated that way.
03:18 He's always been a hard worker, but now we just have to see it.
03:22 And let's get to the football side of it.
03:24 The football side of the season.
03:26 - Oh, go ahead.
03:27 - No, no, go.
03:28 - I want to say real quick, what's interesting about his season that he's having is he's
03:34 making his impact as a pass rusher primarily.
03:37 When he came out of college, the book on him was a great athlete, solid against the run,
03:43 a rock against the run, but needs to develop his pass rush a little bit.
03:47 But now he's a force as a pass rusher, has been.
03:51 I think he'll be able to give the Niners a lot of what Eric Armstead gives them on third
03:56 down.
03:57 My question is run defense, because pad level has been a little bit of an issue with him.
04:00 I think we've seen him get moved a little bit, at least last year.
04:04 At times this year in the run game.
04:06 He's playing next to Javon Hargrave, who's not really a run defender either.
04:11 So what is the Niners interior run defense going to look like?
04:15 Not just with Kinlaw on the field, but without Armstead, because Armstead is an elite run
04:20 defender.
04:21 - He does it all.
04:22 - I don't know what Kinlaw is as a run defender.
04:23 He hasn't shown enough.
04:24 I don't know what he is, period.
04:25 But I just feel like this year he's shown more as a pass rusher.
04:28 And now if they do have two non-run defenders in the middle, that's an issue.
04:33 And they have someone like Kahlia Davis who might be able to step in and be in a platoon.
04:38 That's another guy to look at is Kahlia Davis.
04:40 He played in this last game and he made an impact right away.
04:43 It's a little bit, I think maybe, pad level might be less of an issue with him.
04:49 - So for me, this is how I see it.
04:51 Sometimes the numbers can be a bit misleading.
04:55 So you're right.
04:57 It does show that Javon is having a much better year being a pass rusher than he is-
05:01 - I'm just going off my eye test.
05:03 I could be totally wrong on this one.
05:04 - No, but what you're saying is that numbers do bear out.
05:07 I'm looking at it.
05:09 But also you got to realize that Javon is also playing in a package role, right?
05:15 So when are we mostly seeing Javon?
05:16 We're seeing Javon probably on third downs, probably second downs, but first downs, third
05:22 and longs, downs you got to have it.
05:25 He's probably not on the field.
05:26 So a lot of what he probably is in there to do is he sees a lot more pass plays that he
05:30 does rushing plays, staying in the flow of the game.
05:35 The only, honestly speaking, I've seen Javon struggle, but most of my issues with him is
05:40 struggling against the pass, like being an actual pass rusher.
05:44 He seems to have really had an uptick in that area of his game.
05:47 I never really had a problem with him being a run defender.
05:50 I mean, there's some games where it was just getting bad, like the Eagles game last year,
05:55 a couple of games where it was bad, he was getting thrown around.
05:59 But I feel like I tab that more under uninspired football than I do his actual talent level.
06:04 So he's playing hurt.
06:06 Yeah, he's playing hurt.
06:08 And I think one thing with him was like, if he ever could have an extended period of health,
06:13 he would improve.
06:14 And we're literally seeing it.
06:15 It's wonderful because he's talented.
06:17 He's driven.
06:18 They have a great D line coach.
06:20 It was just like, could you be healthy for an extended period of time?
06:22 And it took him until now, until this year.
06:25 And the answer is yes.
06:26 And you're seeing results like he's a great story.
06:30 Tommy Thomas is a great story.
06:32 Young players kind of written off who are in year three, year four are just showed up
06:38 there.
06:39 Maybe I was a late bloomer or maybe I was just injured.
06:41 Maybe I just had a lot of pressure on me.
06:43 Two guys who have like really had retribution this year.
06:47 Good for them.
06:48 Yeah, they have, man.
06:50 They really picked up their play.
06:52 I'm impressed with what Ambry, I mean, Ambry is just who would have thought, man?
06:57 Who would have thought?
07:00 I would have given Kinlaw more of a hope than Ambry.
07:02 With Kinlaw I understood, you just got to stay healthy.
07:05 You just got to stay healthy.
07:06 I'm not sure that you can.
07:07 But Ambry, I'm like, man, I think you're just, you don't got it.
07:10 Yeah, I did.
07:11 You need a coach.
07:13 Yeah, this is showing what coaching really can do.
07:16 Ambry Thomas, the biggest, what just sticks out to me, and I don't even know if it's anything.
07:21 It may be nothing, honestly.
07:23 But one of the biggest moments that sticks out to me is when Ambry Thomas gets that scoop
07:28 and score that got called back for a touchdown, the forced fumble and the scoop and score.
07:34 And he goes to the sideline.
07:35 It was Wilks' first game on the sideline.
07:38 And him and Wilks are having an exchange.
07:41 And you can see Ambry Thomas, his body language is like, I told you, I got you.
07:47 I'm here.
07:48 I got you.
07:49 It was one of those, you could tell it was one of those big exhale moments for him where
07:54 he not only made a play, but he was physical.
07:58 He hopped on the ball, damn near scored.
08:01 And it probably was like a validation moment for him to prove all of the conversations
08:07 that he's probably had with Coach Wilks.
08:09 I'm happy for Ambry.
08:10 He's playing with a shit ton of confidence too.
08:13 I think D-Mo's wearing off on him, to be honest with you.
08:16 All right, man.
08:17 I just got a text.
08:19 Not a text, an email.
08:22 And it's from Thomas Luttrell.
08:24 There's people who just email me and I want to give him some love.
08:29 Thomas Luttrell says, all caps, CMC is Thurman Thomas.
08:32 He goes, next time you get the CMC question, go with this.
08:35 You're a couple of years younger than me, so you might not have seen him play.
08:37 Watch his highlight tape.
08:39 You'll see it.
08:40 Thurman Thomas, Buffalo Bills running back with Jim Kelly.
08:44 He was the MVP in 1991.
08:46 Did you know that?
08:47 He was the freaking MVP in 1991, 2000 yards from scrimmage, 12 touchdowns.
08:52 Thurman Thomas was a dog.
08:54 Thurman Thomas.
08:55 Thurman Thomas with the box.
08:58 He used to wear the box face mask.
09:01 Thurman Thomas.
09:02 Yeah, it was before my time, man.
09:03 I got to go back.
09:04 Was he the one who lost his helmet in the Super Bowl or was that someone else?
09:08 I believe that was him.
09:10 That was him, right?
09:11 He lost his helmet.
09:12 Thurman Thomas.
09:13 Thurman Thomas was amazing, bro.
09:14 Loses helmet.
09:15 Untold you for the third time.
09:16 Yep.
09:17 Okay.
09:18 All right.
09:19 All right.
09:20 Hold on.
09:21 I think he was the Super Bowl.
09:22 I think he was.
09:23 Was he a part of all four Super Bowls they lost?
09:25 I believe he was.
09:27 Probably was, Matt.
09:28 Yeah, he was.
09:28 I believe he was.
09:29 Yeah.
09:30 All right.
09:30 (upbeat music)
09:33 (upbeat music)