An In-Depth Look at the Saints' Most Intriguing Selection: Hau'oli Kikaha

In the weeks and months leading up to the NFL draft, Hau’oli Kikaha’s name didn’t pop up in many New Orleans Saints mock drafts.

The general sentiment was that the Saints needed to take an edge-rusher early, and the most popular names being thrown around were Vic Beasley, Shane Ray, Randy Gregory and Bud Dupree.

These players made sense for the Saints at pick No. 13 in the first round, as they’re all athletic edge-rushers with top-end measurables, for the most part.

With Dupree, Ray and Gregory still on the board, New Orleans went with an offensive tackle (Andrus Peat) instead. After picking an inside linebacker (Stephone Anthony) with their second selection, the Saints ended Day 1 of the draft without addressing what was perhaps their biggest need going in.

At pick No. 44 in the second round, it became apparent general manager Mickey Loomis and coach Sean Payton had a plan, after all. When the name of Kikaha was called, it all made sense: New Orleans was able to beef up its offensive line, fill another huge need at linebacker and then snag the best pure pass-rusher in the draft.

Other edge-defenders, such as Beasley, Dupree and Dante Fowler Jr., may be better all-around athletes with greater measurables than Kikaha, but there’s not a player in the class who gets after the quarterback like the former Washington standout.

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A former judo champion, Kikaha is a 6’2”, 253-pounder who produced at a prolific rate during his college career. The Laie, Hawaii native totaled 32 sacks over the past two seasons, including a whopping 19 in 2014. In a streak that spanned portions of two separate seasons, he had at least one sack in 14 consecutive games.

So, how does Kikaha pile up such ridiculous sack totals?

Like most sack artists, it starts with his motor. He goes full speed on every play, with no drop-off. If his style of play could be described in a word, it would be “relentless.”

Secondly, his first step is exceptionally quick. He posted an unimpressive 40-yard-dash time of 4.9 seconds at his pro-day workout, and this was one of the reasons he wasn’t a first-round pick. Despite his mediocre straight-line speed, he explodes across the line of scrimmage off the snap, often gaining an immediate advantage, position-wise, on an offensive tackle.

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Perhaps the most distinct aspect of Kikaha’s game is the way he uses his hands. He regularly knocks opposing blockers’ arms down in a violent manner, and his judo background comes in handy when he uses his rip move against long-armed offensive tackles.

When you throw in his nifty body control and polished move set, you get a skilled pass-rusher who can dominate collegiate competition to the tune of 19 sacks in a single season.

As for his potential at the next level, it’s through the roof, but he’ll have to round out his overall game.

In run support, he has his moments as a playmaker, but he gets caught up with blockers too often. If he doesn't improve with regard to shedding blocks, it'll be tough for him to stay on the field on early downs as a rookie in New Orleans.

It’s also worth noting he suffered two significant knee injuries early in his college career. His production, game film and predraft workouts suggest he’s made a full recovery, however, and it's likely the Saints vetted this injury before taking him at No. 44. All the same, the injuries were probably an additional reason he dropped out of the first round.

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As far as where he’ll play, this one isn’t hard to figure out. New Orleans will line him up on the edge, ideally with space in front of him.

He played some with his hand on the ground at Washington, but he’s tailor-made to stand up as an outside linebacker in an odd-man front. The Saints mix up their fronts, but defensive coordinator Rob Ryan should be able to accommodate him with this look on passing downs fairly often.

With the presence in the NFC South of capable quarterbacks such as Matt Ryan and Cam Newton, along with a slew of big, talented wideouts, the need for a formidable pass rush is obvious for the Saints. The addition of No. 1 overall draft pick Jameis Winston to the division’s quarterback stable makes this need even more pronounced.

The Saints' pass rush underperformed in 2014, and this explains the predraft sentiment that New Orleans would go edge in the first round. They didn’t, but in getting Kikaha, the Saints may have plucked the top pass-rusher in the class.

There’s no question he has the tools to carve out an early role for himself in Ryan’s defense in 2015, and he could make an impact for the Saints as early as Week 1.