2023 NFL Draft: Top 10 Interior Defensive Linemen and their fits with the Atlanta Falcons
No. 6: Siaki ika, Baylor
2022: 12 Games Played, 24 Tackles, 2.0 Tackles for Loss, 5 QB Hurries, 2 Pass Deflections
2021: 13 Games Played, 24 Tackles, 6.0 Tackles for Loss, 4.0 Sacks, 4 QB Hurries, 1 Pass Deflection
2020: 4 Games Played, 5 Tackles, 1.0 Tackle for Loss, 1.0 Sack
2019: 13 Games Played, 17 Tackles, 1.5 Tackles for Loss
Siaki Ika is athletically and stylistically very similar to Damon "Snacks" Harrison. Space eater who can fire off the ball, but doesn't test well. pic.twitter.com/CT32T5tIiV
— Scott Carasik (@CarasikS) March 26, 2023
Siaki Ika has great size and shape for a nose tackle in the NFL and is a great fit for a 0-technique and 1-technique defensive tackle due to his strength and power off the line. He's not going to be a stat chaser in the NFL and will be closer to a Snacks Harrison-type player. Ika has amazing instincts against the run game and has that dancing bear kind of athleticism in the middle of a defense. He eats double teams often but has trouble getting off of them.
Ika needs a lot of technique work, and NFL coaching will help him turn from just what looks like a run-defending doubles eater into a full, all-around defensive tackle. The Falcons could use him to rotate with Eddie Goldman at nose tackle in base sets and have another massive body at the goal line. Atlanta likely would have to take him as early as the third round, but with how nose tackles like him have gone out of favor in the NFL, he might be there in the fourth round.