Las Vegas Raiders 2020 NFL Draft prospect profile: Javon Kinlaw
By Matt Holder
Fit with the Raiders
As previously mentioned, Las Vegas doesn’t necessarily need another defensive tackle, however, Kinlaw would still be a great addition. He’d be a great fit as a three-technique in Paul Guenther’s defense because he’d be given more one-gap assignments and has the pass rush skills to consistently get pressure.
Getting after the quarterback from the interior is something that the Raiders have lacked in recent years, and the South Carolina product would help solve that problem.
While Maliek Collins was added to fill this role but he’s only under contract for 2020, so Kinlaw would give the organization more flexibility in the offseason when it comes to re-signing the pending free agent. Also, having a starter in place gives the rookie more time to adjust to the league and fix some of his deficiencies before being thrown into the fire.
Next. Mike Mayock knows Las Vegas Raiders have to get better at cornerback. dark
Maurice Hurst also factors into this equation as he’s projected to begin the year behind Collins on the depth chart. Combining Kinlaw with the former fifth-round pick may seem like overkill, but with how important getting after the quarterback is in today’s NFL, having a surplus of pass rushers is a good problem to have. It would take a little creativity by Guenther to keep these two on the field at the same time, but the coach should be more than happy to take that challenge on.