With the 44th pick in the NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints selected Washington DE/edge rusher Hau'oli Kikaha. Scratch that off the list.

Heading into the 2015 NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints needed an offensive lineman, an edge rusher and a cornerback, among other defensive needs. The Saints addressed the offensive line by selecting Stanford OT Andrus Peat 13th overall, then beefed up the linebacking core with Clemson ILB Stephone Anthony 31st overall. With the 44th pick, they selected the man who led the nation in sacks (19) last year.

Kikaha, 6'2"-253 lbs, was a First Team All-American last season with the Huskies and collected 32 sacks and 40 tackles for loss over the last two years. In 2015, the instinctive edge rusher collected a sack in all but one of his games, which is a testament to his relentless nature.

NFL.com's Prospect Report compares him to Rob Ninkovich, but it also says he is "the most accomplished pure pass rusher in this draft class."

In Rob Ryan's aggressive 3-4 scheme, Kikaha has a chance to really shine. With a highlight reel titled "Sack Master," there's a lot to be happy about with the Saints 2nd round pick. He only ran a 4.9 in the 40-yard dash, but if you watch the tape you might see why Sean Payton, Rob Ryan and Mickey Loomis pulled the trigger.

 

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