Ranking 6 sleeper edge rushers for Chicago Bears in 2023 NFL Draft
2. Chicago Bears could draft Habakkuk Baldonado from Pittsburgh
Habakkuk Baldonado is flying a bit under the radar based on the way his season ended. He got on the field as a reserve in 2019, and then barely played in 2020 with the global pandemic. His best season was 2021, and while he was playing well in 2022, an injury ended his season early and took a little buzz away from his name.
He went to the East-West Shrine game, and started to repair his stock.
.@Pitt_FB EDGE Habakkuk Baldonado (@abba1999) posted the highest PFF Pass Rush Grade (91.7) at @ShrineBowl
— Eric Galko (@EricGalko) February 17, 2023
He had 50% win rate on 26 practice reps. @PFF_College can vouch: that's incredibly impressive.
He showed a range of rush moves too (👇). Shouldn't get out of the top-100. pic.twitter.com/lp4V4EV0bg
What you saw in the video is what you see in his tape. He has a variety of pass rush moves and is not afraid to mix things up in the way that he works. He went to the NFL combine and showed that he does have enough athletic traits to bend around the edge against premier tackles.
There will questions about his anchor and ability to set the edge, and his play has been hot and cold. Still, that is why he comes in on day three. Not many rushers are refined with their hands and their punches, and that could pay off well for Baldonado when his full-time job becomes football.