CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:
TOP 100 PLAYER PROFILES
RANKING THE VIKINGS NEEDS
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
A HISTORY OF RICK SPIELMAN’S DRAFT TRADES
VIKINGS TARGETS
LUKE INMAN’S MOCK DRAFTS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL
FEATURES FROM OUR STAFF
JAVON KINLAW
HEIGHT/WEIGHT/AGE
6-foot-5
315 pounds
22 years old
BIG PICTURE
Javon Kinlaw has been through the ringer, striving to escape homelessness as a young boy. Now he’s a potential first-round pick. He started his career at junior college before landing at South Carolina, where he lost 40 pounds and sculpted his figure into one of the SEC’s strongest inside pass rushers, finishing his career with 10 sacks, three forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries. Kinlaw is coming off hip surgery at the end of the regular season and missed the combine due to knee tendinitis, so his draft status is somewhat contingent on a clean bill of health, but he’ll likely jockey with Derrick Brown for top DT billing.
COMBINE NOTABLES
DNP
VIKINGS’ COMPATIBILITY RANKING
3.5 out of 5. Our Luke Inman was all over Kinlaw before he started rising up boards. That may be to the Vikings’ detriment, as Picks 22 and 25 could be too late to land this stellar talent. There would need to be runs at other positions that would push Kinlaw into the Vikings’ range.
HIGHLIGHTS
WHAT DRAFT EXPERTS SAY
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com: “For a player with so many elite physical traits, Kinlaw’s tape was much more inconsistent than expected. He had moments where he was able to use his size, length and power to overwhelm opponents, but poor pad level and an inability to harness his energy coming off the snap led to body control and balance issues that prevented him from reaching his full potential. He can be a disruptive force along the interior with that explosive first step and freaky physical gifts, but utilizing his heavy hands and plus length as a read-and-react 3-4 end might allow for improved technique, control and consistency. No matter the front, Kinlaw’s traits and potential could make him a solid starter early in his career.”
Benjamin Solak, Draft Network: “Javon Kinlaw is a Day 1 target for any team looking to add a starter on the defensive line, and will be a high priority add for teams looking to increase their disruption up front. A hugely powerful athlete with a wicked first step, Kinlaw demolishes blocking schemes and pocket integrity with regularly. Kinlaw can 1-gap or 2-gap with equal success at the NFL level given his elite toolkit, and his potential as a pass-rusher is sky-high. Inconsistencies regarding Kinlaw’s leverage and pass rush moves limit his ceiling as a one-on-one winner as an interior pass rusher, but by moving him around the line and sticking him in gaps, you’ll get quality pass rush ability in Year 1. Kinlaw is a candidate for Pro Bowl bids the moment he steps on the field, and has the physical tools of the top defensive tackles in the league if he continues to grow.”
WHAT PFF SAYS
18.1% pass-rush win rate (2nd)
88.7 and 90.7 pass-rush grades last two seasons
4.8% run-stop rate (below average)
CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:
TOP 100 PLAYER PROFILES
RANKING THE VIKINGS NEEDS
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
A HISTORY OF RICK SPIELMAN’S DRAFT TRADES
VIKINGS TARGETS
LUKE INMAN’S MOCK DRAFTS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL
FEATURES FROM OUR STAFF
