Habakkuk Baldonado NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Pittsburgh EDGE

HEIGHT: 6'4"

WEIGHT: 251

HAND: 10 1/2"

ARM: 33"

WINGSPAN: 80 1/2"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.78

3-CONE: 7.11

SHUTTLE: 4.44

VERTICAL: 35"

BROAD: 10'0"

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POSITIVES

– Good length and has a nice frame that he can put some weight on if need be.

– As a run defender, he has good hand placement on the offensive lineman's chest and has the strength to get extension and create stalemates versus one-on-one blocks from tackles.

– He's solid at setting the edge against pullers as the force player against gap runs or against offensive tackles on outside zone runs.

– Effective when slanting, he has efficient footwork and the athletic ability to make offensive linemen miss when working laterally. This also translates when he's working as the looper in line games as a pass-rusher.

– He has a couple of decent outside pass-rushing moves that he can win with; hesitation to cross-chop or hand-swipe.

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NEGATIVES

– Slow run-pass transitions versus play action.

– Subpar pad level and leg drive diminish his ability to win with a bull rush/power moves when rushing the passer.

– Doesn't have an inside pass-rushing move that he can win with to keep offensive tackles honest. Lacks the quick twitch to help in this regard.

– As a pass-rusher, he struggles against snatch and trap techniques against high-level competition. He lets tackles get to his chest and ends up on the ground too much.

– Not bendy to turn tight corners around the edge at the top of the rush. Ankles look a little stiff.

– Lacks violence when attempting to shed blocks, limiting his production.

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2022 STATS

– 9 GM, 25 total tackles (9 solo), 5 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 PD

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NOTES

– Born: September 6, 1999

– Grew up in Rome and started playing football there at the U16 and U19 levels before moving to Clearwater, Florida, for his senior year of high school

– A 3-star recruit in the 2018 class, No. 885 overall, No. 51 WDE, per 247Sports' composite rankings

– 23 career starts

– Injuries: 2020 (lower body, limited to 4 games), 2022 (undisclosed, missed 4 games)

– 2022 Honors: All-ACC Academic Football Team

– 2021 Honors: Second-Team All-ACC

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OVERALL

Habakkuk Baldonado is unique, seeing as he's one of the few NFL draft prospects—if not the only prospect—who has experience playing against full-grown adults. Before moving to the United States as a senior in high school, he played in Italy's FIDAF league and for Team Italy, where he was discovered and invited to finish his prep career in Florida.

After racking up 30.5 sacks stateside, Baldonado headed to Pittsburgh, where he eventually became an All-ACC player.

As far as his transition to the next level, the Panther is a solid run defender who would be best as a hand-in-the-ground defensive end for a team that uses even fronts. He does have a couple of pass-rushing moves that he can win with on the outside, but the lack of an inside counter and his suboptimal bend are concerning.

Ultimately, Baldonado is an intriguing Day 3 prospect who could have a high ceiling given that he is still relatively new to the game.

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GRADE: 6.3 (High-Level Developmental Prospect/Round 5)

OVERALL RANK: 159

POSITION RANK: EDGE17

PRO COMPARISON: Tashawn Bower

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Written by B/R NFL Draft Scout Matt Holder