What makes this player NASTY…(Strengths): Has stood out in the classroom. Looks the part. Very good range and on-field speed. Closes in…(for the rest of the Strengths, please reference NOTE at bottom)
Weaknesses: Has yet to step up to turn it on vs. elite competition consistently. Out of his three-point stance at RDE (right-handed), he raises…(for the rest of the Weaknesses, please reference NOTE at bottom)
Other Notes: Attended the IMG Academy (Fla.) but originally hails from Maryland • Played in the 2017 Under Armour All-American Game • He was ranked as the….(for the rest of the Other Notes, please reference NOTE at bottom).
Time to get NASTY (Our Summary): Kaindoh (6’7, 265) presents a challenge for NFL teams. After back-to-back seasons (2017-18) where he began to hypnotize scouts with his combination of length and range, his career was beset with injuries. So where does it go from here? The most plausible comparison could be former Florida State defensive end Josh Sweat (Philadelphia Eagles). The difference? Sweat was more productive in school, but he arguably had even more serious injury concerns entering the league. This past season, the third-year pro set career-highs in sacks (six) and tackles for losses (nine) for the Eagles. Kaindoh has shown flashes when asked to keep contain versus the quarterback. His tackling radius allows him to frustrate teams who use naked bootlegs. Why didn’t he get his hands on more footballs in school as a 6-foot-7-inch defender (two career pass breakups)? On the plus side, he has operated from a two-point alignment and with his hand in the dirt. Is his best football ahead of him? Time will tell. It was unfortunate he got injured in the first game of the season (Georgia Tech ’20) and never seemed to fully recover. Kaindoh may have had the best fall camp of his career in 2020.
NOTE: The entire scouting report on FSU DE-OLB Joshua Kaindoh (including Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Notes and draft projection) will be featured in Corey Chavous’ 2021 NFL Draft Guide/Free Agency review .