Several times during the draft I was digging into how things fit together and as the draft began, I believed that the DE and CB positions were going to be part of the focus on the draft. Once Nick Bolton and Creed Humphrey were selected in round 2, my attention was waiting with intrigue to see how the rest unfolded with Brett Veach’s selections. In my own mocks, I had used Josh Kaindoh as a late pick, but had not really “Felt” him. Now I do. What follows is illuminating.
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Josh Kaindoh was a 5 star recruit for the Florida State Seminoles but his grown in the DE role did not mature as anticipated. One of the problems was getting him enough snaps to develop and injuries each season reduced his snaps and games participated in — and that was the first worry that any team drafting him would see.He started 10 games each season, but missed the rest due to injury each year.
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On the other hand, his athletic matrix was very high. In the NFL he would play DE in the base 43 and work up from there which is exactly where he needs to be spotted for the Chiefs as his NFL pass rush repertory expands. Right now he is going to need to work to expand what he can do for the pass rush. He is functionally a strong player who checks the boxes for Run Defense but the over-all moxie on how to use his athleticism will be what holds his advancement up in the NFL. Josh does possess all the physical attributes to succeed–if he can put it together for the Chiefs defense. In other words, he projects as an NFL Starter at DE but needs coaching up. Kaindoh is 6’5 1/2″-260 Lb of athletic physicality. Josh’s frame and ability to bend the edge and his speed should get him home on the pass rush given coaching and training. It remains to be seen as his college stats do not show that he is sacking the QB over his time in Tallahassee. But, I do see him getting pressures which is an unheralded trait all of which should see him fit to the off-ball DE role opposite Frank Clark. He has all the traits but he must put it all together in KC. I see him fitting, first getting spot starts and potentially being a starter. Kaindoh is strong and he has long arms which will be an advantage. Danillo of Rogue Analytics States that Kaindoh is “…a crazy good Athlete”. What’s more is that Josh was able to drop into pass defense for the Seminoles, so he has the versatility from the DE Position that Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo covets.
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Kaindoh’s Pro Day
Anyone evaluating Josh is going to come away with the same view of him.
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Top Traits
- Prototypical size
- Long arms, thick frame
- His athletic testing was elite
- He has an explosiveness potential that is through the roof
- He has excellent speed with great agility.
- Coaches and fellow players say that he is a very intelligent, thoughtful man.
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Josh Kaindoh, Edge Rusher
- 6-foot-5 1/2, 260 lbs.
- Hands: 9 1/2
- Arm Length: 34 1/2
- Long Jump: 10’5″
- 40 yard: 4.70
- Vertical: 36.5
- Short shuttle: 4.38
- 3-Cone: 7.21
- 225 lb. Bench Reps: 21
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With that in mind plus being aware that Kaindoh was brought to the kingdom because of his athletic traits and drafted in the 4th round(pick144), then we must accept that he is a developmental player. The Scouting staff had to have seen and understood how Josh fit the Chiefs and what they could quickly help him develop internally to the Chiefs DL coaching staff.
Sam Hays(@wichitasam) said this about him:
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“Kaindoh won’t be ready now, but he is a ball of clay for Steve Spagnuolo and company to mold into a future starter and potentially a pretty good one.”
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Teammate Asante Samuel Jr. said of him:
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“Kaindoh is music to my ears… When I see Josh is doing good, when he’s out there doing his thing, that makes my job easier. Josh is very consistent, he treats it like he’s in the NFL already. He prepares like a pro.”
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RAS
CBS had Kaindoh rated as a 3rd or 4th round pick with a high Athletic Matrix score and this is backed up by his RAS evaluation shown below. The measurements provide a great view of how the Chiefs scouting staff must have seen Josh Kaindoh59th of 1361 Players sine 1987). It ranks right up near the top, and far superior, for example, to Tanoh Kpassagnon’s.
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There is much to like about Kaindoh, which is evident on film. Ryan Tracy has an evaluation segment with Danillo seen here:
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Un-measurables and Personality
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Josh Kaindoh had career aspirations long before college. His goal was to become a medical doctor. This aspiration continues to drive him now. When he was in the second grade his class visited Towson University in Maryland and he came away with the this goal. Kaindoh has stated that medicine is his main professional of interest and it stems from that trip while in the second grade.
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He says medicine was the main potential profession that interested him on the visit which showcased a variety of potential jobs. In an interview with a News Service called “The Tallahassee Democrat,” Josh is quoted as saying:
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“I always told myself that that’s what I wanted to do if I wasn’t playing football and I just want to stick with it.”
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He wants to focus on being an orthopedic specialist or a team doctor and he has served a medical internship with FOMA in Florida. His degree route at FSU was in Exercise Physiology at first, but the scholastic time required did not match his football program so he switched to Sociology and Biology.
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Final Observation
Injury has been the major question about Josh Kaindoh as far as NFL analysts are concerned. Plus, the fact that he had only 8 sacks during his time at Florida State. His athleticism is what draws me to project him to be a successful starter in the NFL. Hopefully, the Chiefs Coaching Staff brings out the best of him very quickly, which would make the 4th round selection a high positive in the 2021 Draft.
David Bell – ArrowheadOne
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