Javon Kinlaw entered the 2020 regular season with the daunting task of replacing one of the best players on the San Francisco 49ers. Losing DeForest Buckner was a blow for the Niners both on and off the field, but investing in Kinlaw, where the team did put unfair expectations on the rookie.
Without much of an offseason at all, Kinlaw flashed but didn’t live up to the “Buckner billing.” In Kinlaw’s defense, how could he? He finished the regular season with 1.5 sacks and nine QB hits on 295 pass rushes, per Sports Info Solutions.
If we’re comparing both players and their rookie seasons — neither had the benefit of Nick Bosa — Buckner had a higher sack and hit percentage.