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#Chiefs DE Joshua Kaindoh didn’t play much as a rookie and could be the biggest wild card for the team heading into 2022.
The Kansas City Chiefs added six draft picks in the 2021 NFL draft. Several of those rookies made contributions on offense, defense and special teams during the course of the 2021 regular season and postseason. One rookie managed to appear in a few games but didn’t make much of an on-field impact.
Let’s take a look at Joshua Kaindoh’s rookie season and see what we can project for the future.
We kick off our annual #Chiefs rookie season reviews by looking at much-maligned special teamer Zayne Anderson.
The Kansas City Chiefs added six draft picks in the 2021 NFL draft and a number of undrafted free agents too. Several of those rookies made contributions on offense, defense and special teams during the course of the 2021 regular season and postseason. One particular rookie was a December promotion from the practice squad, and despite a pair of egregious errors on special teams the team stuck with him.
Let’s take a look at Zayne Anderson’s rookie season and see what we can project for the future.
Might be time to go shopping in the portal.
Three major pieces from the initial 2021 secondary are gone and now the new defensive coordinator will have work to do. It all started with a sophomore cornerback and former five-star recruit.
When the season began, many were discussing the LSU secondary as having the best one-two punch in all of college football. Both players in Ricks and Derek Stingley Jr were former five-star recruits and led the team in interceptions as freshmen. The 2020 defense was abysmal at historic levels but Ricks was a bright spot.
He finished out his freshman campaign with four interceptions, two defensive touchdowns, five passes defended to go along with 20 tackles in eight games. Ricks was viewed as the next great cornerback, right behind his teammate Stingley.
However, his 2021 season was cut short due to a shoulder injury that he tried to fight through. After the season looked lost even at 3-2 in the games he played, Ricks shut it down after the Kentucky game and opted to have surgery to repair a torn labrum. On Nov. 23, he entered the transfer portal and committed to Alabama on Dec. 15.
One top cornerback was gone from the team. Then we had Stingley Jr.
