Hau’oli Kikaha opened his rookie season on a tear.
Kikaha, a second-round pick from Washington, had 38 tackles, four sacks and three forced fumbles in the season’s first half.
Then Kikaha suffered an ankle injury against the New York Giants, and he has had trouble maintaining that level of production. Forced to miss one game and most of another beause of the injury, Kikaha has posted 12 tackles and no sacks and forced his first fumble of the season’s second half late in the Saints’ 35-27 loss to Detroit on Monday night.
“I think he’s developed,” defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said.