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2020 NFL Draft: Javon Kinlaw’s stock is soaring

By Dan Matney

ATHENS, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 12: Zamir White #3 of the Georgia Bulldogs is tackled and pushed backward by J.T. Ibe #29 and Ernest Jones #53 of the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first half at Sanford Stadium on October 12, 2019 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATHENS, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 12: Zamir White #3 of the Georgia Bulldogs is tackled and pushed backward by J.T. Ibe #29 and Ernest Jones #53 of the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first half at Sanford Stadium on October 12, 2019 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw has been wreaking havoc all season, putting himself in position to be a potential first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The 6-foot-6, 310-pound senior has a NFL-caliber frame and is disruptive both as a pass rusher and a run defender.

He possesses tremendous length and fires his hands off the snap. Kinlaw’s hand are very quick and active, and he displays impressive power to his upper half. Kinlaw is consistently able to get his hands on opposing linemen and extend to keep himself free.

He can stack-and-shed with impressive power at the point-of-attack and can wrap and finish when he’s in the area. Kinlaw’s large stature makes it tough to win the leverage battle at times, but he’s flashed the ability to keep his pads down.

Kinlaw has tremendous quickness coming off the snap and has disruptive qualities as a run defender. He’s had several plays this season where he penetrated his gap by time the hand-off has been completed.

For as talented as he is as a run defender, Kinlaw is one of the better interior pass rushers this class has to offer.

His quickness off the snap plays to his advantage, but he does a tremendous job converting speed to power and brings an arsenal of moves to the table.

Kinlaw can win with a swim move and has quickness to his spin move, and when all else fails he can use his raw power to rip blockers off and get to the ball. He consistently displays the ability to get push with his bull rush and is a flat-out bully one-on-one getting after the passer.

His skills show up on the stat sheet as he’s already managed five sacks this season, which is impressive for an interior player.

He has a well-refined skill set and should be a plug-and-play guy at the next level, but Kinlaw does need to continue to develop his ability against double teams.

Kinlaw handles double teams well for the most part as a pass rusher. He can make himself skinny to fit through tight spaces and can finds ways to generate push.

In run defense, however, he tends to end up too far downfield and had a few times against Georgia where he was steered nearly 10 yards off the line-of-scrimmage.

Kinlaw possesses good overall strength and can anchor down when necessary, but he needs to work on consistently collapsing double teams instead of letting them clear the way.

Derrick Brown and Raekwon Davis continue to highlight the defensive tackle class, but Kinlaw is making a strong case as the third best in a very talented group.

He looks the part of a potential starter in an even front at the next level, and Kinlaw’s disruptive film and athletic traits are going to go a long way in securing his spot in the first round in the 2020 NFL Draft.

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