Inside The Panthers

Pitt DL Habakkuk Baldonado Projected as First-Round Pick

This Pitt edge rusher has been pegged as a 2023 NFL Draft sleeper.

Stephen Thompson

Pitt DL Habakkuk Baldonado Projected as First-Round Pick
Pitt DL Habakkuk Baldonado Projected as First-Round Pick /
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PITTSBURGH -- For much of his football career, Habakkuk Baldonado has flown under the radar. The Rome, Italy native arrived in the United States and started playing football late in his teens. Even after landing at Pitt as a three-star recruit, he often took a backseat to established stars like Rashad Weaver, Patrick Jones II and Jaylen Twyman along one of the most productive defensive lines in the country for his Pitt Panthers. An injury that limited him to just four games in 2020 didn't help either. 

But as his final season with the Panthers approaches, that is not the case anymore. Baldonado is quickly becoming a hot commodity in the professional scouting community, rising up draft boards as already high expectations grow. On Tuesday, ESPN's Matt Miller released a very early mock first-round draft and Baldonado made the cut. 

Miller predicts that Baldonado will go 24th overall to the Kansas City Cheifs, making him the second Panther selected in the first round in as many years after the Pittsburgh Steelers selected quarterback Kenny Pickett with their first selection this past April.

"Even after drafting George Karlaftis in the first round in April, Kansas City could use another end with the future of Frank Clark in question," Miller wrote. "Baldonado is one of my favorite under-the-radar prospects, and I'm projecting a big year for him in 2022."

Baldonado earned second-team All-ACC honors last season after recording 42 tackles - 11.5 for a loss - nine sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He was a key member of a Pitt defense that recorded the second-most sacks in the country a year ago. 

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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