Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw was healthy enough to take part in every 49ers practice during training camp.
And it showed in the team’s Week 1 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Kinlaw struggled during the team's three-game preseason slate, but he provided a nice contribution on Sunday, when he played 24 snaps as a rotational player in the team's 30-7 win over the Steelers.
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“I thought he took a step forward from last year,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said of Kinlaw.
Kinlaw saw action on only two Steelers running plays, while providing pressure on two of his pass-rush attempts. He was credited with one tackle in the game.
Shanahan took notice of Kinlaw’s first snap of the game, when he blasted through an attempted double-team block of Steelers center Mason Cole and left guard Isaac Seumalo.
His penetration enabled linebacker Fred Warner to fill the gap and blast running back Najee Harris for a 2-yard loss.
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“On the fourth play of the game when Fred Warner had that tackle for loss, that real violent hit in the backfield where he just shot the C gap, Kinlaw took up the center and the guard, which allowed Fred to be unblocked to make a big play,” Shanahan said. “So I think Kinlaw did his job.”
Kinlaw came to the 49ers with big expectations after the club traded DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts in 2020. The 49ers selected Kinlaw at No. 14 overall.
But he has not been the mainstay the club was expecting. Kinlaw missed 29 games, including the postseason, in his first three NFL seasons due to knee injuries.
The 49ers signed veteran defensive tackle Javon Hargrave in the offseason to pair with Arik Armstead on the interior as the team's starters.
The 49ers did not pick up his fifth-year option for 2024, so Kinlaw is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent after this season.