The 49ers surprised many around the NFL universe when general manager John Lynch made Javon Kinlaw the No. 14 overall pick in April's NFL draft.
San Francisco had one of the league's most dominant defensive lines in 2019, and still had plenty of talent returning at the position even after trading DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts in order to secure that first-round pick.
Robert Saleh's defense relied heavily on tremendous pressure from his defensive line to shut down the passing game and limit opposing teams' ability to run the football. The anchor of that group was Buckner, who tallied 62 tackles and 7.5 sacks on his way to an All-Pro second-team selection. Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead and Solomon Thomas are tremendous players in their own right, but someone will need to make up for that elite production now headed to the midwest.
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That's why Kinlaw could be the determining factor on whether the 49ers' defense can return to the overpowering force it was in 2019.
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Buckner's impact on the interior of the defensive line jumped off the screen when you watched the 49ers play in recent years, as he showed the rest of the league exactly why he was worth a top-10 draft pick back in 2016.
Kinlaw isn't quite the same type of athletic specimen that Buckner is, but made his name as someone in the middle of an SEC defense at South Carolina that could eat up space and stop plays before they could get started.
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Being able to toss aside NFL-caliber offensive lineman like rag dolls is something you don't see very often. And while he might not be Buckner, Kinlaw isn't your average 300-pounder in the open field.
The 49ers' defense is littered with talent, as evidenced by the two dominant postseason performances it put together against the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers prior to Super Bowl LIV.
Lynch showed immense confidence in Kinlaw by selecting him where San Francisco did, and he could be the key to keeping the 49ers' defense among the league's best.