Commanders Roster Ranking No. 17: Javon Kinlaw Is Still Chasing the Impact Washington Paid For

When we sat down to make this list, Javon Kinlaw at No. 17 was one of the spots that did not settle easily.

There is a version of this argument that states he should be higher. The Commanders did not hand him a three-year deal worth up to $45 million, with $30 million guaranteed, to be a rotational piece on a defense where he should thrive. With that kind of money comes expectations, especially for a defense that spent too much of last season getting pushed around up front.

On the flip side, there was also a version of this argument that said he should be lower. Kinlaw played useful snaps in all 17 games last season, and somehow still finished with no sacks. Pro Football Focus credited him with 34 pressures, which does help his cause some, but it does not close the argument by any means.

That is where it gets tricky. Kinlaw is not ranked here because he has already proven himself by answering every question. He is here on the list because Washington still needs the answer to be yes.

At 6-foot-5 and 319 pounds, Kinlaw has the size and stature to change the math up front. When he moves in one direction, everyone from the guard to the quarterback should feel it. Opposing running backs should have to account for him before they hit the line of scrimmage.

Washington Commanders DT Javon Kinlaw's PFF Grades | Pro Football Focus

The issue, of course, is that Washington needs that to happen more often. Kinlaw finished the 2025 season with 43 tackles, one forced fumble and, as mentioned earlier, no sacks. Pro Football Focus was not kind to the rest of his work, giving him an overall grade of 46.8, which ranked 112th among 134 players at the position. The pressure numbers give the case a little more room, with 31 hurries and three quarterback hits, but they also tell the story pretty clearly. He was not invisible. He just was not disruptive enough. He was around the quarterback more than his traditional sack total would suggest, but there comes a point where that cannot be the whole story for him.

For Kinlaw, that is where the 2026 conversation really begins.

Teeth of the Defense: Why Javon Kinlaw’s Role Dictates the Scheme

The defensive line is one of the most important positions in football. A team that dominates up front in the trenches will control the tempo. Washington can replace cornerbacks and safeties, change coordinators, draft new linebackers, and get creative with the scheme until the cows come home. But the reason players like Kinlaw matter is that the Commanders cannot fix their defense from the outside in. It must begin up front in the teeth of where the opposing offense aims each down.

If the middle of the line keeps getting moved, there will continue to be problems at ground zero. Kinlaw's role becomes ultra-important at that point. Being a double-digit sack guy would be nice, but it is not what the team expects from him. Defensive tackles live in an undefined world where things are not always clean on the stat sheet. Oftentimes their job consists of eating space and keeping guards from reaching the second level. A tackle's entire job on some plays might be to squeeze a rushing lane long enough for the linebacker to step up and make the play without a blocker bearing down on him.

Sometimes it is about pushing the entire pocket into the quarterback's lap, so the rush coming off the edge actually has somewhere to crash down on. Those are the things Washington is looking for out of Kinlaw. Real disruption up front that creates chaos for the opposing offense. That is the difference between being useful and being a problem for the other team.

Javon Kinlaw and Chase Young blowup the backfield for the 2-yard loss

Watch Kinlaw after the play is over 💀 pic.twitter.com/o7ORAIlLIi
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) January 22, 2024

The Disappearing Act: Where Javon Kinlaw Still Has to Improve

The good snaps are not hard to understand. Kinlaw gets his hands on somebody, starts pushing, and the play changes. That is what Washington is hoping to see more of. Not just a big body in the rotation. A big body that actually makes the offense deal with him.

That is the version that stands out in a good way; the problem is what happens in between those snaps. Kinlaw tends to disappear for stretches, which is hard to do for a man that size, but it happens. My guess is he spends time in the film room with coaches talking about that very subject on Monday mornings.

He does not need to become a completely different player, but he does need to make his best traits show up more consistently.

Managing the Trench Rotation: How Washington Survives a Defensive Tackle Injury

If Kinlaw were to miss an extended amount of time, Washington still has defensive tackles who can make a difference. Daron Payne continues to be one of the better players at the position, while Jer’Zhan Newton and Tim Settle are there to ensure the room would not fall apart if Kinlaw were not available.

What a lot of people never realize is that the strength of a defensive line is in the rotation. If you remove one piece of that rotation, the rest will feel the burden. Kinlaw is one of the few players on the roster built to carry that physical load play after play. Lining up without him puts pressure on the others, who then have to fill that role.

While Kinlaw may not be the best defensive lineman on the roster, he is one of the key guys that helps the entire room function.

The Verdict at No. 17: Demanding More From Kinlaw’s $45M Contract

As stated above, Kinlaw landed here because the Commanders still need the player they paid for to show up more often. He would be ranked higher if his production matched the contract.

Washington does not need Kinlaw to be something he is not already. They need a disruptor. Someone who will push the opposing line that extra bit in the trenches, causing plays to shut down before they begin.

Until that moment, Javon Kinlaw will remain one of the Washington Commanders' most important unanswered questions.

That puts him at No. 17.

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