49ers Need Return on Investment With Javon Kinlaw in 2022

Javon Kinlaw appears on the right track toward getting healthy.

The former No. 14 pick in the 2020 NFL draft has yet to make his mark on the 49ers as injuries have plagued him. It all started his rookie season when he sustained a knee injury against the Cowboys. That injury never really went away for Kinlaw as he ended up on Injured Reserve just over a month into last season.

But now it looks like Kinlaw might finally be rid of those ailments.

“I see (Kinlaw) every day working outside my window,” said Kyle Shanahan Tuesday at the owner's meetings. “This is the healthiest I’ve seen him since he’s been here. I really think he fixed some of the things that were issues and I’m as excited for him as anyone.”

For Kinlaw's sake, he should hope that those "issues" with his knee are definitely fixed. If they aren't he will certainly be flirting with a "bust" status with the 49ers, so if he can really demonstrate sustainable health and become an impactful player this upcoming season, then drafting Kinlaw will look salvaged.

The 49ers need their return on investment with Kinlaw in 2022.

It is time he makes a real impact on the team. He hasn't been able to through his two seasons of his career so far. His rookie campaign was decent and showed improvement as the season went on, but it all went downhill once they faced the Cowboys. Injuries have just fluttered around his name, which also got brought up as a reminder that his knee tendinitis made him a bit of a red flag in the draft.

Kinlaw needs to live up to his draft status. All he really needs to do is be an every week healthy starter who can make a few impact plays a game. If he can do that, then the 49ers have something here. Ideally, you would like him to make more than a couple or a few impact plays a game, but given how his career has started, that would feel like a huge win with his performance. And once the season is over, you hope his trajectory continues to where he is that dominant player in 2023.

But the 49ers need Kinlaw to be THAT guy in 2022, not just because of his draft status, but because of who they let walk in free agency. D.J. Jones was ultimately passed on by the 49ers due to Kinlaw. It made no sense paying Jones the money he received from the Broncos when they need to finally hit their return on investment with their first-round pick. They need to allow Kinlaw that chance.

The same thing can be said with why the 49ers let Laken Tomlinson go. They need to hit their high investment with Aaron Banks by giving him a chance to start and show his stuff. So in 2022, Kinlaw will need to be a relatively impactful player, while hoping his injuries are a thing of the past.

Otherwise, the 49ers just may have wasted a pick on him.