The New York Jets made quite a few big moves throughout the course of the NFL offseason. One of those moves was to sign former San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw.
Standing in at 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds, Kinlaw is an intimidating presence on the defensive line. He is coming off his best season in four NFL campaigns.
During the 2023 season with the 49ers, Kinlaw was finally able to stay healthy. He played in 17 games, racking up 25 total tackles to go along with 3.5 sacks and three defended passes.
Now, he's focused on becoming an integral part of the Jets' defensive line.
Ahead of the 2024 season, Kinlaw sent out a bold message to the rest of the NFL. He's clearly ready to get to work and live up to the potential that made him the No. 14 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
"This year's been my first time feeling like I can really be who I think I can be, who I know I can be. Point blank. Period. When I was coming out, I knew it was going to take me some time. I remember somebody asking me what I rank myself amongst the guys at the Combine, and I said, 'As of now I'm not really the best guy, but 10 years from now I will be.' And I still feel that way."
He continued on, opening up about how he feels and using the word "violent" to describe it.
"I feel amazing. I feel super explosive, I feel violent out there. I feel like I'm getting a lot of knockback, holding strong on double teams. That was my main thing this offseason, really work on sustaining on those double teams because I feel like I'm a big guy. Guys don't really come off of me."
Looking ahead at the upcoming season, New York is expected to have a top-three defense. In fact, on paper, they are talented enough to end up as the No. 1 defense in the league.
At 26 years old, Kinlaw is headed into the physical prime of his career. He's in a system that fits his skillset and he is expected to be a big part of helping the Jets compete for a Super Bowl.
Hopefully, he'll be able to stay healthy and live up to the expectations he has set for himself. If he can do that, New York will be in a very good place on the defensive line.
