Draft Prospect Preview | DT Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina

Here's a look at one of the stars of the Senior Bowl.

Height: 6-foot 6 
Weight: 310 lbs
Grade: Senior
School: South Carolina

South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw has taken on life’s challenges with patience and dignity, using his experiences as his fuel for greatness.

Kinlaw, a native of Goose Creek, South Carolina, comes from humble beginnings that have included periods of being homeless. Yet through all his adversity, Kinlaw has battled and overcome the curveballs life threw at him, largely thanks to the unwavering support of his mother who helped impress upon him the value of hard work to reach his goals.

Another obstacle Kinlaw overcame was his poor grades that threw a detour into his pursuing football at the college level. Initially recruited by South Carolina head coach, Will Muschamp, Kinlaw enrolled at Jones Junior County College, where he improved his grades while staying in shape for what was still to come.

When he transferred to South Carolina, Kinlaw's hard work at the college ranks began to pay off. In 29 career games over three years, he collected 82 tackles, 17 for a loss, and 10 sacks.

Although Kinlaw doesn't have eye-popping sack numbers, his impact on the game is hard to miss. He occupies multiple blockers, which opens opportunities for others, and he never stops trying to push the pocket and disrupt things.

He also showed himself to be a decent run stopper, earning a 79.5 grade in that area from Pro Football Focus in their annual draft guide.

Kinlaw, who will likely be a first-round prospect, moves very well for a man of his size. He exudes power and strength and has a quick first step that he uses to surprise his opponent. While not as effective against double team blocks, Kinlaw never stops scratching and clawing in trying to break free to disrupt.

Kinlaw is indeed so solid as a prospect that ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay summed him up as follows: “If God was going to make a defensive lineman, it’s this guy.” (h/t TheState.com)

Why He Fits

The Giants have finally embraced the rebuild, a rebuild that has seen a new group of faces on both sides of the ball brought in wit the idea of the coaching staff molding them into a powerhouse capable of competing for years to come.

While the Giants have some good pieces on the defensive line, they need a deeper rotation to help guys stay fresh and to help push the pocket to create disruption and move the quarterback off his mark.

Kinlaw is a guy who can fill that role. He comes into this draft as arguably the best interior defender in the draft. If games are won and lost in the trenches, the Giants need to fortify in these areas.

They already have some solid pieces in B.J. Hill, Dexter Lawrence II, Dalvin Tomlinson, and, if he re-signs, Leonard Williams. Adding a player like Kinlaw to those guys could immediately improve a defense that just finished 23rd in yards allowed (338.5) and 19th in points (21.3), and one that since the team's last playoff appearance in 2016, hasn't had a top-10 defensive unit.