Can Habakkuk Baldonado Become a Supporting Cast Pass Rusher?

The Giants haven't had a solid third pass rusher in a long, long time. Can the Italian-born Baldonado, a rookie out of Pittsburgh, become that guy?

Habakkuk Baldonado, OLB

Height: 6-foot-5 | Weight: 260 pounds
2022 Stats*: 9 games played, 25 tackles, 5 TFL, 2 Sacks, 2 PBUs

 *at Pittsburgh

Habakkuk Baldanado's path to the NFL is an interesting one.

He hails from Rome, Italy, where "football," better known to Americans as "soccer," was the rage and where it was unheard of for people to eat pizza topped with pineapple.

Baldonado didn't discover American football until he was 13 years old when he came across the game on ESPN. From there, it was love at first sight for the Italian native, who knew what he wanted to do.

Thanks to a supportive mother, Baldonado set out on a path to pursue his dream. Although not among the Pittsburgh Panthers' six draft picks this year, Baldonado hopes to carve out a long, productive career in the NFL as an edge rusher.

Best Case Scenario

Edge rusher is the one spot the Giants didn't add to in the draft, or free agency, for that matter. Instead, the team seems content to move forward with the same cast of characters--Kayvon Thibodeaux, Azeez Ojulari, Jihad Ward, Elerson Smith, Tomon Fox, and Oshane Ximines--it had last year.

That group, by the way, combined for 14.5 sacks, which is not a very impressive stat. So perhaps with a strong enough camp, Baldonado, who is fighting for a roster spot after Thibodeaux, Ojulari, Ward, and Smith, will be up against Fox and Ximines this summer.

While undrafted rookie free agents rarely blossom into pass rushers to be feared, all the Giants need is to find a rotational guy who can stay on the field (something Smith hasn't been able to do in two seasons) and can create headaches.

Baldonado has been decent against the run in college as well, showing an ability to quickly locate and get to the running back before the back turns upfield. The ability to play the run should certainly help Baldonado in his competition, but he'll need to iron out other deficiencies in his game.

Worst Case Scenario

There is some question as to whether Baldonado has limitations to his game. To the casual observer, he looks more like a classic 4-3 base end and as someone with some noticeable stiffness in his lower body.

It will be interesting to see if that affects him when trying to bend around the edge or if that limits him to the 9-technique role in the pass-rushing package. His competition for the final projected roster spot at the position is Fox and Ximines.

Like all rookies, Baldonado needs to build up his strength and fine-tune his technique and agility. He could also add some pass-rushing moves to his toolbox to better help him get home against the next competition level.

What to Expect in 2023

Baldonado has solid size and length, as well as good linear athleticism. Although he started playing football a little later than usual, he was productive, notching 41 tackles, 12.0 tackles for a loss, and 9.0 sacks in 14 games played in 2021, his best college season.

If he delivers a solid training camp performance, there's no reason to think Baldonado won't earn a spot on the practice squad, if for no other reason than to have a chance to further develop and contribute down the line as a rotational pass rusher.

That said, at this point in his development, he's likely a project needing further development. Baldonado seems to be too easily stifled when his initial attack of the pocket is stopped, and he needs to develop some counter moves to fight off the blocks. 

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