Hau'oli

Kikaha

Kikaha tore his left ACL last month and is expected to miss the entire season. Last year’s No. 44 overall pick could open the year on reserve/PUP and spent the whole season there. Kikaha has torn his ACL three times now.

Going on 24, Kikaha tore his left ACL twice in college. In somewhat confusing reasoning for his optimism, Payton said the ACL could be repaired “as if it were the first ACL, not the third.” Kikaha is holding off on surgery, but it’s inevitable. It’s not unheard of to return from three ACL tears, but the odds are sadly against the 2015 second-rounder.

The oft-injured 2015 second-rounder is expected to miss the entire season. Kikaha has torn his ACL three different times, clouding his future.

It’s devastating news for both New Orleans and Kikaha. The Saints were counting on 2015 second-round pick Kikaha to spark their pass rush, and Kikaha is now faced with yet another recovery after tearing his ACL twice in college. Already a limited athlete, another knee injury could seriously sidetrack his career. We fully expect the Saints’ defense to be a sieve yet again in 2016.

Recovering from the third tear of his left ACL, Kikaha missed all of 2016. Kikaha had an effective rookie year in 2015, but the Saints will have to consider any 2017 contributions a bonus.

Kikaha is almost a year removed from his third left ACL tear, but the Saints want to be “smart with him” according to DC Dennis Allen. “The key is to make sure he’s healthy and ready to go,” Allen said. “Whatever we have to do to have him full go and ready to go through training camp and the season, I think that’s what the plan will be.” It sounds like Kikaha will be babied through the offseason program before having the reins removed in training camp.

The Saints seem to be playing a game of musical chairs on defense. With James Laurinaitis now at middle linebacker, Stephone Anthony will move to the strong side, the same position Kikaha played as a rookie. The Saints failed to address defensive end this offseason, opening the door for Kikaha to see more time as an edge rusher. Kikaha showed flashes as a rookie linebacker but dealt with a nagging ankle injury late in the year and struggled when asked to drop back in coverage. Defensive end has always been his more natural position.

Kikaha suffered his third career left ACL tear in 2016 OTAs. The No. 44 overall pick of the 2015 draft had a solid rookie season before last year’s washout. Kikaha will enter 2017 as a reserve.

A 2015 second-round pick, Kikaha recorded four sacks as a rookie but suffered a torn ACL in his left knee for the third time and missed all of 2016. He has played 82 rotational snaps this season and has two sacks to show for it. Kikaha could bring back a late-round pick for a pass rush-needy team, but wouldn’t fetch more than that. NESN’s Doug Kyed mentions the Patriots as a possibility.

He was joined by Anthony Spencer. Both will have expanded roles if Junior Galette’s pectoral injury ends up being serious. Beat reporter Mike Triplett said Kikaha’s “athleticism was noticeable” particularly on a play when he hassled Drew Brees. Kikaha spent Thursday’s practice at both inside and outside linebacker. The rookie led all of college football with 19 sacks in 2014.