49ers select DL Javon Kinlaw in first round of NFL Draft

South Carolina defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw was selected by the San Francisco 49ers.

The San Francisco selected South Carolina defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw with the 14th overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft on Thursday evening.

Kinlaw (6-5, 324 pounds) did not participate in the combine because of a knee injury and South Carolina’s pro day was canceled so he didn’t get a chance to show off his speed and strength for scouts this offseason.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein still came away impressed with Kinlaw, comparing him to Michael Brockers, who was a first-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

He can be a disruptive force along the interior with that explosive first step and freaky physical gifts,” Zierlein wrote of Kinlaw on NFL.com before the draft.

During his three seasons with the Gamecocks, Kinlaw totaled 82 tackles — including 17 tackles for losses — and 10 sacks. Kinlaw also broke up eight passes, recovered four fumbles and forced three fumbles.

Kinlaw was the second-best interior defensive lineman in this year’s class, according to Luke Easterling’s rankings on Draft Wire. Auburn’s Derrick Brown was the only interior defensive lineman ranked higher than Kinlaw.

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Projecting Broncos’ DL depth chart before the NFL draft

Here’s a look at the Broncos’ projected defensive line depth chart going into the NFL draft.

With the NFL draft a little more than one week away, here’s a look at the Broncos’ projected defensive line depth chart as it stands right now:

DE NT DE
Shelby Harris Mike Purcell Jurrell Casey
DeMarcus Walker Joel Heath Dre’Mont Jones
Jonathan Harris Kyle Peko Deyon Sizer
Jay-Tee Tiuli

Denver has three solid starters in Harris, Purcell and Casey but none of those guys are long-term answers at their respective positions. Jones could become a reliable starter in the future but the Broncos will need two more starting defensive linemen in the coming years.

Walker has shown potential but he might be best-suited as a rotational defender. This season, Walker and Jones will provide excellent depth as defensive ends but Denver will want more help at nose tackle.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Broncos add several defensive linemen in the draft, bringing in help at nose tackle and defensive end.

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Broncos likely to keep Shelby Harris at defensive end

Shelby Harris had a big year after transitioning from nose tackle to defensive end.

Last year, the Broncos had Shelby Harris begin the season as a nose tackle. He was capable of playing the position but through four weeks, it didn’t seem like the best fit for him in Vic Fangio’s 3-4 defense.

Fangio then decided to move Harris to defensive end and he inserted Mike Purell at nose tackle. After changing positions, Harris went on to total 30 tackles, six sacks, nine pass breakups and one forced fumble.

Clearly, Harris is a better fit as an end than as a nose. After re-signing with Denver, Harris will likely continue playing as an end in 2020.

“We have a beast at nose in Mike Purcell,” Harris said during a conference call with reporters on April 3. “I think he’s a monster at nose. For me, I feel more comfortable as an end because of the position I played before — I had played zero-nose before.

“With end, there is a little more space. You can use your athleticism to your advantage out here. It’s just something that is more familiar. I feel it opened up my game a little more and I was able to do things that I like to do.”

Going into the draft, the Broncos’ projected starting defensive line is Jurrell Casey, Purcell and Harris with Dre’Mont Jones and DeMarcus Walker rotating in behind them. The depth chart will likely change after the draft but Denver has built a good foundation for Fangio’s front three.

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Broncos will have pre-draft call with DL Leki Fotu

The Broncos will have a pre-draft video call with Utah defensive lineman Leki Fotu.

The Denver Broncos have scheduled a pre-draft video call with Utah defensive lineman Leki Fotu, according to Draft Wire’s Justin Melo.

Fotu (6-5, 330 pounds) ran a 40-yard dash in 5.15 seconds and bench-pressed 225 pounds 21 times at the combine earlier this offseason. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has compared Fotu to Mike Pennel, who joined the Green Bay Packers as a college free agent following the 2014 NFL draft.

“His draft value could be capped because he’s an early-down player who offers no real rush value,” Zierlein wrote of Fotu.

Fotu was a run-stuffing nose tackle with the Utes, totaling 81 tackles, four sacks, three pass breakups and three forced fumbles during his final three years at Utah. He is the 13th-best interior defensive lineman in this year’s class, according to Luke Easterling’s post-combine Draft Wire rankings.

Denver placed a second-round tender on nose tackle Mike Purcell earlier this offseason but that’s only a one-year deal and the Broncos will want to have more depth on the defensive line. Fotu will be among the prospects the team will consider during the draft (April 23-25).

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Report: Broncos re-signing DL Shelby Harris to 1-year deal

Broncos defensive lineman Shelby Harris is re-signing with Denver on a one-year contract.

The Denver Broncos are re-signing defensive lineman Shelby Harris to a one-year deal worth up to $3.25 million, according to a report from The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala.

Harris (6-2, 290 pounds) entered the league as a seventh-round pick out of Illinois State with the Oakland (now Las Vegas) Raiders. He dressed for just eight games in two years with the Raiders before being cut in 2016.

After being released by Oakland, Harris went to training camp with the New York Jets but he failed to make their 53-man roster. He then spent part of the 2016 season on the Dallas’ Cowboys practice squad.

In 2017, Harris signed with the Broncos and his career turned around.

Harris had a breakout year in his first season in Denver, totaling 34 tackles and 5.5 sacks. At the time, both of those totals were career highs for him. Harris started all 16 games for the Broncos last season and recorded 49 tackles and six sacks. He also led all defensive linemen with 9 pass breakups.

Entering his sixth season, Harris will turn 29 years old in August.

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Broncos place 2nd-round tender on DL Mike Purcell

The Broncos have placed a second-round tender on defensive lineman Mike Purcell.

The Denver Broncos have placed a second-round tender on defensive lineman Mike Purcell, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

This year, second-round tenders are worth $3.25 million.

Purcell (6-3, 328 pounds) entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Wyoming with the San Francisco 49ers in 2013. After spending the first three years of his career with the 49ers, Purcell joined the Los Angeles Rams in 2017 but failed to make their 53-man roster.

Purcell then spent time on the practice squads of the Chicago Bears, Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs before joining the Salt Lake Stallions of the now-defunct Alliance of American Football last spring.

After the Broncos had multiple defensive linemen go down with injuries last offseason, the team signed Purcell as an emergency option. Purcell went on to win a starting job midway through the season and finished the year with 48 tackles in seven starts.

After the Broncos acquired five-time Pro Bowler Jurrell Casey in a trade with the Tennessee Titans, Denver’s starting defensive line at the moment projects to be Casey, Purcell and Dre’Mont Jones, a third-round pick in last year’s draft.

Though he entered the league seven years ago, Purcell is considered a fifth-year player because he was not on an active roster in 2017 or 2018.

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How adding NT Danny Shelton impacts the Lions roster

Examining how agreeing to terms with nose tackle Danny Shelton impacts the Detroit Lions roster.

The 2020 official free agency period is ready to begin but the Detroit Lions have already agreed to terms with several players, including defensive tackle Danny Shelton.

Shelton, a former 12th overall pick in 2015 by the Cleveland Browns, played in New England the last two seasons where he was their starting nose tackle. He is expected to take on the same role in Detroit, replacing Damon Harrison.

With two years and 32 games worth of experience in a near-exact version of the Lions scheme, Shelton (6-2, 345) should be able to step right into the starting nose tackle role without missing a beat.

John Atkins has been the Lions top reserve at nose tackle the last two seasons and is expected to maintain that role in 2020. Olive Sagapolu is an upside nose tackle who signed a futures deal with the Lions in January but isn’t expected to do more than compete for a reserve role at this time.

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Lining up at the defensive tackle spot next to Shelton will be a rotation of Da’Shawn Hand, newly acquired Nick Williams, Kevin Strong, and potentially Frank Herron. Hand, Williams, and Strong are all signed through 2021, while Herron is in a contract year.

Will the Lions add more defensive tackles?

It’s fair to say the Lions have five defensive tackles they are comfortable entering the season with — Sheldon, Hand, Williams, Atkins, and Strong — but that does not mean they are done adding at the position.

It’s possible that the Lions wait for the prices to drop in free agency and acquire another veteran to help bring stability to the younger front. Re-signing Mike Daniels is surely being considered, but if free agents like Marcell Dareus, Dontari Poe, Michael Pierce, or Shelby Harris are still around in a few days they may get a phone call from the Lions.

The draft is also another area that can’t be ruled out for adding players. Derrick Brown’s value to the Lions probably took a hit today, but nose tackles with range, like Davon Hamilton (Ohio State) and Leki Fotu (Utah), are prospects the Lions could look to draft and develop.

Broncos won’t be signing DL Quinton Jefferson

The Broncos had initial interest in defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson but it looks like he plans to sign with the Bills.

The two defensive linemen that the Denver Broncos had known interest in this offseason — D.J. Reader and Quinton Jefferson — have now both agreed to terms with other teams.

Reader received a four-year, $53 million contract from the Cincinnati Bengals and Jefferson is expected to sign a two-year deal with the Buffalo Bills. Neither deal will become official until the new league year begins on Wednesday afternoon.

The Broncos made an offer to Jefferson on Monday but “moved on” on Tuesday, according to a report from KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis. It’s unclear if Denver moved on because of Jefferson’s pricetag or another reason.

There is some good news for the Broncos’ defensive line prospects. Derek Wolfe and Shelby Harris are both still available and the longer they stay available, the less leverage their agents will have.

If Wolfe and Harris find that they don’t have strong markets, they might be willing to re-sign with Denver with reasonable contracts.

We are tracking all of the Broncos’ free agency moves here.

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D.J. Reader, who drew interest from Broncos, agrees to sign with Bengals

Former Texans defensive lineman D.J. Reader has agreed to sign with the Bengals.

Former Houston Texans defensive lineman D.J. Reader has agreed to sign a four-year, $53 million contract with the Cincinnati Bengals, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

The Denver Broncos were interested in Reader but his $13.25 million-per-year average might have been too costly for general manager John Elway. Seattle Seahawks pending free agent defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson remains an option for Denver.

Reader (6-3, 347 pounds) was selected by the Texans in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL draft out of Clemson. He totaled 72 tackles — including nine tackles for losses — and four sacks during his four years with the Tigers.

In Houston, Reader served mostly as a rotational defensive lineman as a rookie, totaling 22 tackles and one sack. He emerged as a full-time starter in 2017 and recorded 47 tackles and one sack.

Last season, Reader had a career year with 52 tackles and 2.5 sacks. He’s a nose tackle who is tasked with clogging up the middle of the field.

Reader has totaled 154 tackles and 6.5 sacks over the last four seasons.

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How adding Nick Williams impacts the Lions roster

Examining how agreeing to terms with defensive tackle Nick Williams impacts the Detroit Lions roster.

The 2020 tampering period is less than a day old and the Detroit Lions have already agreed to terms with several players, including defensive lineman Nick Williams.

Early expectations are that he will be part of the rotation at defensive tackle, splitting time with Da’Shawn Hand (my projected starter) and Kevin Strong. Williams is capable of seeing some snaps at the 1-technique spot but won’t be a heavy contributor there.

Athletically, Williams is very similar to Hand as you can see below in a comparison of Pride of Detroit’s Kent Platte’s RAS cards:

Williams is very athletic, but as a late bloomer, he also needs to show that he can use that athleticism to be productive beyond just what he showed last season in Chicago.

Factoring in the reported contract the Lions gave Williams — 2 years, $10 million — it appears the Lions believe he can be a consistent part of the rotation and will likely assume the role vacated by A’Shawn Robinson.

With Hand and Strong returning and the expectation of Williams to contribute, the Lions look to be content to open the season with this three-man rotation at the 3/5-technique position. Although, if the Lions are concerned about the injuries to Hand/Strong, it’s still possible they look to add one more veteran defensive tackle — potentially re-signing Mike Daniels.

While they appear set at 3/5-technique, there is still a starting job open at the nose tackle position and that position is very much open to adding a quality player. That could mean the Lions try to add a player like D.J. Reader, Marcell Dareus, or Michael Pierce in free agency, or look to the draft by targeting Derrick Brown (Auburn) or Leki Fotu (Utah).