Report: Bills have pre-draft meeting with top DL prospect Javon Kinlaw

According to NYUP.com, the Bills had a pre-draft video meeting with South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw. 

The Bills had a surprising pre-draft meeting which was reported last week. According to NYUP.com, the Bills had a pre-draft video meeting with South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw.

In a recent USA TODAY mock draft, Kinlaw was the 15th overall selection. There’s nearly no way the Bills would be in play for Kinlaw without a first-round pick at the 2020 NFL Draft. Buffalo now doesn’t pick any players until the No. 54 overall pick thanks to their trade for receiver Stefon Diggs.

Kinlaw is an explosive defensive lineman who could be a force in NFL backfields for years to come. Speaking of years to come, that could be the reasoning the Bills met with Kinlaw.

While there’s the obvious, could the Bills trade back into the first round for him? There’s also the Bills’ future to consider.

In four or five seasons (depending on his rookie contract), Kinlaw will be a free agent. The Bills trading back into the top-15 picks seems unlikely, so perhaps Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane was doing his trademark “due diligence” chatting with the defensive lineman. Get to know him now, and maybe down the road the Bills could bring him on board?

Kinlaw, a senior, had 20 tackles, six sacks and two passes defended in 12 games in 2019.

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