49ers’ Javon Kinlaw wants DeForest Buckner’s number after being drafted

The 49ers drafted Javon Kinlaw to help fill the void left by DeForest Buckner's trade to the Colts last month.

While Kinlaw won't immediately replace the production the 49ers got from Buckner, the South Carolina product is planning to follow in his footsteps, starting with the number he wants to wear.

Kinlaw, whom the 49ers selected with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft on Thursday night, has been watching Buckner since he was a star at Oregon. Kinlaw hopes that like Buckner, the 49ers can take his raw potential and make him a star in the NFL.

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"I was watching DeForest since he was coming out of college," Kinlaw said of Buckner after being drafted by the 49ers. "I know he started off as a raw player, and he developed into a monster. I feel like once I can get that type of coaching, I can probably be somebody like him."

Buckner was a key piece of a defense that led the 49ers to Super Bowl LIV this past season. With salary-cap decisions to make, the 49ers chose to trade Buckner to the Colts for the No. 13 pick at the start of the new league year.

After trading down one spot Thursday, the 49ers drafted Kinlaw, a powerful defensive tackle with sky-high potential to add to a defensive line that features Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead and Dee Ford.