Ask Farrell: How did Rivals miss with Javon Kinlaw's ranking?

Javon Kinlaw took many different paths to the NFL Draft, but one thing remained constant before he got to South Carolina and that was his ranking.

In the 2016 class, the Goose Creek, S.C., standout was ranked as a three-star defensive end playing his senior year at 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds.

He then went to junior college at Ellisville (Miss.) Jones County J.C. where he continued to develop physically and was listed now at defensive tackle adding at least 25 pounds to put him just over 300.

In high school, Kinlaw was a mid-level three-star prospect who was rated as the No. 11 prospect in the South Carolina state rankings. When the junior college rankings came out, Kinlaw was the highest-level three-star, but still a three-star nonetheless.

ASK FARRELL: Will Alabama's class finish outside the top 10?

CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State

CLASS OF 2022: Top 100

Kinlaw’s recruitment also had its exciting moments. He committed to the Gamecocks out of high school, but when he went to junior college the three-star backed off his South Carolina pledge. Alabama, USC and South Carolina all made a run at him again and the Gamecocks won out - again.

At South Carolina, Kinlaw was a dominant force on the defensive line, especially the last two seasons where he registered 10 sacks. He totaled 82 tackles over three years. Kinlaw forced three fumbles and recovered four of them.

There is almost no question that Auburn’s Derrick Brown will be the first defensive tackle taken on Thursday night. He was dominant over his career with the Tigers and he could be a top-five pick.

But many project Kinlaw could be a top-10 pick and it’s nearly certain he will be the second defensive tackle drafted early in the first round. If that plays out, then Kinlaw will have definitely outplayed his ranking both in high school and college.

We ask Rivals National Director Mike Farrell for his thoughts on Kinlaw and why his ranking was so low at high school and in JUCO.

"Kinlaw was an athletic kid but really raw out of high school. He was a big lineman who relied on his size to dominate in high school but played upright and didn’t show that well at the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas against better competition. In fact, he looked more like a potential offensive tackle at the time.

"He was a bit more polished out of junior college and played better as an interior defensive lineman, but still had moments where he just looked flat. He went off to South Carolina as a raw, athletic kid and has emerged as a first-rounder. His development in a few short years has been excellent. As a high three-star we liked him, but we didn’t see a future first-round draft pick."