National Football League

Wide-ranging opinions surround former Washington OLB Kikaha

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 3:41 p.m. ET

Ross Jones

Former Washington outside linebacker Hau'oli Kikaha has been one of this year's most intriguing prospects.

Kikaha, the nation's reigning sack leader, enjoyed a decorated career being named first-team All-American last season. Kikaha, however, has been projected as a mid-round pick because of an average 40-yard dash time (4.90) and questions surrounding his surgically repaired left knee.

A handful of teams with conservative medical evaluators have been turned off by Kikaha's ACL surgery and the follow-up repair, league sources told FOXSports.com. Other clubs, though, are having a hard time overlooking Kikaha's two-year production.

The 6-foot-2, 253-pound pass rusher racked up a whopping 40.0 tackles for loss, 32.0 sacks and 99 tackles over his final two seasons at Washington.

"He has first-round talent, character and intelligence, but has a Day 2 grade only because of medical eval," one NFL talent evaluator said. "Can we afford not to trust the tape?"

Kikaha has flown under the radar on the national landscape since his April 2 pro day, but has generated plenty of interest among teams. More than a half-dozen clubs, looking for an edge rusher in the first two rounds are in play, a league source said.

Kikaha, along with his former teammates defensive tackle Danny Shelton, linebacker Shaq Thompson and cornerback Marcus Peters, all appear to be heading off the board in the first two days of the draft.