Javon Kinlaw, Jets Preparing for Career Year

Javon Kinlaw was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 2020 draft.

While his production was nowhere near worth the 14th overall selection, not every team feels he is near the end of his playing days. At least not right now.

The New York Jets signed Kinlaw to a free-agent deal worth over $7 million. The large deal for an unproven player like Kinlaw may have seemed like an overpay, but not to the team that gave him the contract.

Especially after his strong training camp.

“He’s taken every single rep," Jets head coach Robert Saleh said. "He feels like he’s in a really good place both physically and mentally. And because of the fact that he’s been able to take all these reps, we’ve been able to help him really hone in on his game. When you’re in and out of the lineup, you’re just playing, you’re not locking into a technique or anything."

Kinlaw is coming into this season expected to be a starter alongside first-team All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. With that pairing, the Jets hope they can get dominant play from the interior on both sides.

Related: Way-Too-Early Mock Draft: Jets Add Freak to D-Line

And early returns say that Kinlaw could be exactly who the Jets have been looking for.