After a promising rookie season, injuries prevented 49ers defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw from establishing himself in 2021 -- making next season an important one for the organization’s 2020 first-round pick.
Kinlaw played four games last season before undergoing ACL surgery that shut him down for the rest of the season. In 14 games his rookie year, Kinlaw had 33 tackles, 1.5 sacks and an interception.
On Monday, the 24-year-old out of South Carolina posted a workout video on Instagram showing him lifting weights and going through drills on the field.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
“Lotta miles covered but a lot more to go,” Kinlaw wrote in the caption. “I’m still takin this thing one day at a time. This organization revived me when I needed it the most. So blessed to be apart [sic] of this team.”
Kinlaw added: “It always gets greater later.”
The 49ers obviously want to see their 2020 first-round selection on the field. Things look to be trending in the right direction, with Kinlaw telling Brad Graham of TheSFNiners (h/t 49ers Webzone) last month that rehab is going well and his hip flexibility is improving.
San Francisco 49ers
Related: Kinlaw's knee feels 'amazing,' wants to make statement in 2022
Kinlaw’s services weren’t missed too sorely last year given the 49ers’ depth at the defensive line position. But with D.J. Jones -- who played in 17 games last season -- leaving for the Denver Broncos, the 49ers will look for Kinlaw to come back healthy and step up in Jones' spot.
Offseason workout videos aren’t the best or only way to judge how a player is recovering from injury, but if the recent quotes and social media posts are any indication, Kinlaw is hungry to come back strong in 2022.