Baylor Nose Tackle Siaki Ika Goes Top-60 in Latest ESPN Mock Draft
Baylor nose tackle Siaki Ika could be headed to the west coast, according to ESPN's latest mock draft, which sent Ika to the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 54.
Ika has appeared all over draft boards, with some outlets projecting him to go as high as No. 33. His unique athleticism for a player his size (6-foot-4, 358 pounds), paired with the relatively low positional value of nose tackles, makes his evaluation more difficult than that of more traditional defensive tackles.
After earning a spot on the preseason AP All-American second team, Ika struggled to statistically live up to his stellar junior campaign, finishing with just two tackles for loss (down from six) and no sacks (down from 3 1/2).
But such is the nature of his position – Ika rarely had much room to operate, as he frequently drew double teams from opponents wary of his quickness.
The Chargers, meanwhile, are in desperate need of run-stoppers. They were statistically the worst rush defense in the NFL this year, allowing 5.4 yards per carry.
Ika would certainly help with that; in three full seasons (one at LSU and two at Baylor), his teams never allowed more than 3.9 yards per carry. In 2020, when he played just two games, LSU's defensive yards per carry mark ballooned from 3.8 to 4.9.
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