It's make or break for Javon Kinlaw as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.

It's early in training camp, but arrow appears to be pointing towards the 2020 first-round pick finally making impact for the 49ers.

Owing to persistent knee problems, Kinlaw — drafted as DeForest Buckner’s successor after the 49ers traded the defensive tackle to the Colts — has struggled to produce. He has not registered a sack since recording 1.5 in a rookie year ended by injury and, after finally shaking off his knee issues last season, displayed an evident lack of explosiveness as a pass rusher and was inconsistent at best against the run.

The 49ers declined Kinlaw's fifth-year option, but his new defensive coordinator Steve Wilks expressed satisfaction with what he has seen so far from the former 14th overall pick.

Speaking after Thursday's practice, Wilks said of Kinlaw:

"Well from day one, I’ve been talking about Kinlaw and his progression. He stayed here all summer, dedicated himself as far as trying to continue to get his body right. Mentally, he’s in a great spot and just love the way he’s playing violent, hands up front, getting off the ball and the way he’s turning and running and getting to the football is amazing. I know [Head Coach] Kyle [Shanahan] showed one of the plays in the team meeting this morning with him just coming out of his stack, as we call it, and I’m just excited right now and just looking for him to have a great year."

Wilks praising Kinlaw's get-off is the key part of his assessment. The 49ers value get-off among their defensive linemen above everything else. Last year, perhaps understandably given his long spells away from the field, Kinlaw was consistently slow off the ball, failing to generate the power in his rush to ever truly threaten pass protectors.

Rediscovering some explosiveness will be crucial to Kinlaw's hopes of contributing as a rotational pass rusher behind starters Javon Hargrave and Arik Armstead in 2023.

At 6ft 5in and 319 pounds, Kinlaw has the potential to produce consistent destruction from the interior of the line if he can stay healthy and play with the kind of burst off the snap that has been largely absent from his game since 2020.

Kinlaw was also drafted in part because the 49ers believed he could provide crucial heft in the middle against the run game. Injuries have prevented him from offering that and from making the desired strides as a pass rusher. Those strides may finally come this year, and the Niners' elite defense will have an even higher ceiling if they do.

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