With the selection of edge rusher Joshua Kaindoh, it’s only a matter of time until he makes an impact for the Chiefs.
The Kansas City Chiefs had a really solid draft, filling needs with every pick and making sure they can stay competitive on both sides of the ball. They spent their first and third selection on defense with inside linebacker Nick Bolton and edge rusher Joshua Kaindoh, respectively.
Bolton was seen as a steal being available late in the second round, while many people scratched their heads at Kaindoh being chosen in the fourth round. He wasn’t a big name. but Chiefs Kingdom has nothing but trust for Brett Veach. That trust has been rewarded with good mid-round defensive players in the past two drafts in Juan Thornhill and L’Jarius Sneed. And there’s no reason to question that with Joshua Kaindoh.
Standing at 6-foot-7, 265 pounds, Joshua Kaindoh is a gigantic player with quick feet and great strength. Throughout his career at Florida State, he was able to make plays with just his God-given ability. He could easily shed blockers, set the edge on outside zone runs, and always seemed to be close to the ball. But where he really seemed to shine was his pass-rushing technique.
Kaindoh was able to bend his hips allowing him to bend low to get around blockers if he’s going for a speed rush, or he was able to churn his legs in a bull rush, pushing the blocker towards the quarterback. Kaindoh wasn’t always the man to finish the job, but he was able to showcase flashes of being a capable edge defender at the next level.
The biggest problem with Kaindoh is he’s not a consistent player, he finished his career at Florida State with only 8.5 sacks in three seasons. He has all of the skills to be a great pass-rusher, but he never was able to get more than four and a half sacks in a season and did not register a single sack when he started all of the 2020 season.
That’s why he’ll need to learn under Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and Defensive Line Coach Brendan Daly on fixing his techniques and becoming a more consistent player. If Kaindoh wants to become a member of Sack Nation, he’s going to have to work for it. It will also help to have Chris Jones, Frank Clark, and Jarron Reed on the defensive line to give him tips and help him advance into, at the bare minimum, a good rotation player.
The best comparison for Kaindoh is probably the Washington Football Team’s Montez Sweat, both are the same height and about the same weight. Sweat uses his size by swatting down passes and setting the edge, he is also an efficient pass rusher opposite of Chase Young, like Kaindoh will be opposite of Frank Clark. If Kaindoh can do some of the things Sweat does, he should be effective early in his career. Kaindoh was able to show a flash of making a play on the ball with this play against #5 UNC this past season.
Chiefs Kingdom should be very excited about the possibilities he brings to the Chiefs defensive front. He is a big man with elite athleticism and he likes to get to the ball by any means necessary. The bare minimum Kaindoh can be this season is a reliable rotation edge defender and he could turn out to be another mid-round steal like L’Jarius Sneed was last season. The ceiling for Kaindoh is extremely high, he should be a good fit in the Chiefs system and will be a player to watch for in the 2021 season.
