The Washington Commanders took heat for handing a contract valued at $45 million to Javon Kinlaw in 2025 NFL free agency, but the move can look like a masterstroke if the defensive tackle finally plays like a top-15 draft pick and has an impact similar to the one linebacker Frankie Luvu made for the Burgundy and Gold last season.
Emulating Luvu’s impact is well within Kinlaw’s reach, according to 106.7 The Fan’s Lynnell Willingham. He told The Team 980 how Kinlaw can defy expectations because head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters believe the 27-year-old is “a guy that is really just scratching the surface in terms of what he could be.”
That’s an optimistic take about a former first-round pick who has hardly taken the league by storm. Yet, Willingham is convinced Kinlaw compares favorably to Luvu because “I don’t think any of us knew what we were getting in Frankie Luvu. He was a guy that was still coming into his own as a pro and trying to put it all together. I think Javon Kinlaw can have that type of step forward. He can take that Frankie Luvu type of jump forward in 2025, and if he does, this Commanders run defense actually could end up being a strength instead of a weakness.”
This is a bold outlook for Kinlaw, but Willignham’s take underscores the pressure on the ex-San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets D-lineman to solve the biggest remaining problem facing the Commanders.
Commanders Need Different Impact from Javon Kinlaw
Luvu made a different kind of impact than the Commanders want and need from Kinlaw. While the former Carolina Panthers hidden gem became a top-100 talent as a roving pass-rusher, Kinlaw must plug the sizeable gaps in Washington’s soft run defense.
That shouldn’t be a problem for a 6-foot-5, 319-pounder, but Kinlaw hasn’t always played up to his physical profile. When he has, the former South Carolina linchpin has been a force at the heart of the trenches.
Kinlaw has already been flashing signs of dominance this offseason. This impressive rep against the Cincinnati Bengals in preseason, highlighted by Burgundy Zone creator The Podfather, is a notable example.
A play like this is why Peters is still a believer in Kinlaw’s upside. Peters was in the front office for the Niners when they made the Kinlaw the 14th player selected in the 2020 NFL draft, so it makes sense the GM felt comfortable ignoring the critics of the bumper contract the Commanders offered this year.
Quinn is also confident Kinlaw will prove worth the money after an impressive start to his time in Washington. The Commanders need their key decision-makers to be right about Kinlaw, the way they were about Luvu a year ago.
Frankie Luvu Set to Be Even Better
Getting better against the run is the obvious assignment for Quinn and coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.’s defense, but the unit will be a force rushing the passer thanks to versatile disruptors like Luvu.
He can rush from anywhere, but Luvu is expected to be even better after the arrival of future Hall of Famer Von Miller. The latter has already been setting the example for Luvu to refine his pass-rush plan.
It’s a positive development for a hybrid defensive front that needs to be greater than the sum of its parts. Luvu and Miller can ensure the Commanders play above expectations in passing situations, but Kinlaw has the tougher and arguably more important task on running downs.
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