Kinlaw has just 1.5 sacks to go with his 22 tackles, and four quarterback hits through 10 game appearances this season.
The 49ers are preparing to face the Los Angeles Rams this weekend, and Rams head coach Sean McVay can certainly see Kinlaw's potential.
"I think he's got a bright future," McVay told 49ers reporters via a conference call on Wednesday. "He's definitely been playing more consistently, snap in and snap out. He flashes. You see the ability.
"But I think understanding the techniques, the fundamentals that they want to play with snap in and snap out is something that you're starting to see, and he's a disruptive player. He's got great twitch. He's got great strength at the point of attack.
"You can see why he's a first-rounder and why he's going to be a great player in this league for a long time if he continues to grow and do what he's done his rookie year."
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