2020 NFL Draft: Javon Kinlaw deserves to be in top-10 conversation

Javon Kinlaw was dominant at Senior Bowl practices last week and proved he deserves to be in the conversation to go in the top 10 of the 2020 NFL Draft.

With the Senior Bowl in the books, the last chance for draft prospects to put dominant reps on film against top college competition has passed. No player grasped that opportunity more emphatically than South Carolina defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw.

Kinlaw was already firmly in the first-round conversation before the week of practice in Mobile, but the way in which he consistently and comfortably won his one-on-ones with opposing offensive linemen has vaulted him firmly into the top-10 discussion.

Such were the strength of Kinlaw’s practices that he was able to call it a week and leave the Senior Bowl after only two days on the field, protecting his body after tendinitis in his knee flared up.

Kinlaw could afford to stand on what he did during his two days in Alabama, as his Senior Bowl practices allowed scouts to see with their eyes what is obvious on tape – that he is a versatile, game-wrecking defensive lineman ideally suited for today’s NFL.

Deployed on the edge as well as on the defensive interior, Kinlaw has displayed the ability to push the pocket from both spots. His total of six sacks in 2019 will not blow anyone away, but that tally does little justice to a player who so frequently pushed around those attempting to block him.

Possessing a blistering fast get-off and an acute understanding of pad level, Kinlaw will enter the league as a very refined pass rusher with swipe, club, rip and swim moves already established weapons in his arsenal.

Those moves are sometimes not even necessary, such is the power in Kinlaw’s hands. Several offensive linemen have ended up on the ground having been simply tossed aside by Kinlaw. While he won’t be able to do that consistently to NFL pass protectors, his combination of power and quickness that allows him to have success on stunts and close to the ball in a hurry should put him high on the wishlist of personnel chiefs around the league.

Stout against the run, Kinlaw excels at stacking and shedding and finding the football. There are very few deficiencies to his game and, in a league where 3-technique defensive tackles who can create interior pressure and take attention away from edge rushers have never been more valuable, Kinlaw, through his tape and his efforts in Mobile, has secured his place as one of the draft’s most prized prospects.

His story will further help his case. Kinlaw spoke at length in the Senior Bowl press conferences about growing up homeless, describing how his tough upbringing “made me a man at a young age”.

Such comments speak to his character and will undoubtedly resonate with NFL evaluators, as will as his determination to improve after conceding he did not meet his goals in his final season with the Gamecocks.

Kinlaw, per Fox News, said:

"“I have everything to prove. I treat myself like I’m that guy still at the bottom. I set my goals so high this season and I feel like I didn’t accomplish any of them. That’s just how I am. I am looking forward to going out and getting something done. I wanted to have 15 sacks [in 2019]. I didn’t even get close.”"

Playing alongside better defensive talent, Kinlaw should get much closer to his individual targets as a pro. His outstanding tape was backed up by his practice performances in Mobile and there are unlikely to be any doubts Kinlaw would be a high-character addition to any locker room.

On and off the field, Kinlaw is an incredible prospect and – after the show he put on for front office staff and media last week – should be firmly in the conversation to hear his name called within the first 10 picks in Las Vegas.