Steelers Mock Draft 2023: Pittsburgh fills their biggest team needs

Steelers mock draft round 2: Nose Tackle Siaki Ika

2nd Rd – Nose Tackle/DL – Siaki Ika – Baylor – 6’-3”, 335# - At Baylor, Ika was used mostly against the run. He might be relegated to that duty in NFL but he is athletic enough to be an every down lineman. He has a good combination of power and athleticism. He also has some pass rush moves and flashes disruptive hands when he uses his ‘bull and pull’ technique. Against both the pass and run, Ika routinely commands double teams. Athletic for his size, he can play all along the D-Line.

As you would guess, Ika is stout against the run. He’s not as dominating as he should be, though. Sometimes he lets his pad level get away from him and gets knocked out of position. With some good position coaching Ika could be a rock in the middle of the line. When he hits first, with good technique, he has the power to blow up the middle of the line. He can stack and shed blockers

Ika had only two seasons as a starter, both being with Baylor. In his 37 game career (24 starting) he had 70 tackles, 10.5 for a loss, and 4.5 sacks with 3 pass deflections. His stat line doesn’t show what a disruptive force he can be in the middle of the line. The thought of where this player could be after a year in the Steelers strength and conditioning program is scary.