Siaki Ika Complete NFL Draft Profile (Baylor DL Must Improve Technique at Next Level)

Defensive lineman Siaki Ika has been solid over the last two seasons at Baylor, earning some well-deserved hype ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. Any team with a hole on its defensive line would love to add a prospect like Ika, making it interesting to see where he lands this week.

Here's everything you need to know about Siaki Ika heading into the 2023 NFL Draft.

Siaki Ika Draft Stock & Mock Draft Projections

Mock draft sources accurate as of 4/25: NFL.com, ESPN, CBS, Walter Football, Sporting News.

Projected Draft Round: Round 2 (3), Round 3 (2)
Projected Team: Browns (1), Cardinals (1), Bears (1), Lions (1), Steelers (1)

Siaki Ika Scouting Report

Siaki Ika heads into the NFL Draft following another strong campaign at Baylor. He tied his previous career-high of 24 tackles (10 solo) while breaking up two passes. While that isn't the flashiest stat line, his play was good enough to see him named first-team All-Big 12 for the second straight season.

It isn't hard to see how Ika is physically ready for the NFL, standing at 6-foot-3 and weighing 335 pounds. His massive frame helps him bowl over offensive linemen, including the odd 2-on-1 battles. He's also displayed a solid motor for a man of his size, helping him occasionally jump into the pass rush when needed.

Despite his strong hands, Ika has a tendency to miss tackles. In fact, his technique in general has been criticized by scouts as he sometimes finds himself unbalanced and winding up on the ground.

Siaki Ika NFL Draft Prediction

Siaki Ika has a high ceiling, but it's clear that his technique needs improvement at the next level. Having said that, all five of the highlighted mock drafts see him being off the board by the end of the third round — including two projecting him as a second-round selection.

The Arizona Cardinals are the perfect team for Siaki and he's the ideal prospect for them. Between J.J. Watt's retirement and Zach Allen departing in free agency, the Cardinals' d-line has seen better days. By drafting Ika, Arizona would be filling a void while giving him valuable minutes to develop.

Waiting until Pick No. 66 might be a risk, though, given Ika's ceiling. The Cardinals will either need to move up or use their Round 2 selection to land him.

Prediction: Arizona Cardinals (Round 2, 34th overall)

Check out more NFL Draft content from The Duel:

Siaki Ika NFL Combine Results

Siaki Ika Baylor Stats

Siaki Ika Baylor Highlights

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.