Raiders NFL Draft Prospect: DT Siaki Ika, Baylor Bears

The Las Vegas Raiders have officially entered free agency and made big moves to turn the franchise around.

With more signings expected to come in the upcoming days and weeks leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft, the Raiders' picture is starting to look clear on what the team will be looking to select at the draft.

An area where the Raiders need to upgrade for next season is the interior of the defensive line.

“The defenses are different. There's more complex, I'd say, defensive schematic game at the NFL level. And so, again, that goes just into someone's ability to learn, someone's work ethic, and did he have the tools both from a personal and a mental skill set to put the work in to learn it,” Raiders General Manager Dave Ziegler said during the combine.

Defensive Tackle Siaki Ika, Baylor Bears

“It is hard to find a player who moves as well as Ika does for his size. He has really good change of direction and athleticism that is evident on film. Ika’s change of direction allows him to make plays upfield and his motor is pretty impressive too,” Draft Bible said of Ika.

Ika is a massive, NFL-ready 6-3, a 335-pound nose tackle who has the right combination of size and athleticism that will make a difference on the Raiders' defensive front.

During the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, Ika ran a 5.39 40-yard dash, 7.88 seconds on the three-cone drill, 1.88 seconds on the 10-yard-split, and 4.99 seconds on the 20-yard shuttle, all great speeds for a player of his size.

Ika was a member of LSU’s national championship team in 2020, and following that season, he transferred to Baylor, following former Tigers Defensive Coordinator and current Baylor Head Coach Dave Aranda.

In his first season at Baylor, he registered 25 total tackles (18 solos), six tackles for losses, and 4.5 sacks.

That season he was named an All-American, First Team All-Big 12, and was the conference’s Defensive Newcomer of the Year.

Last season wasn’t about the stat sheet but his impact on the field. Although he didn’t record a sack, Ika racked up another 24 tackles (10 solos), two tackles for losses, and two batted passes and was named First Team All-Big 12 for the second consecutive year.

“There were a number of plays where he was able to make an impact after the play broke down. The natural power and upper body strength Ika possesses made him really hard to move. He’ll be able to take on double teams at the next level and eat up space. If he is able to continue to improve his lower body strength, interior offensive lineman will struggle to move him off his spot in the NFL.”

The Raiders can get their hands on a player like Ika on Day Two of the draft and pay him up with another talented rookie.

The NFL Draft will occur at Union Station in Kansas City, Mo., from Thursday, April 27 to Saturday, April 29. ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network will broadcast all seven rounds.

March 13-15 is the free agent negotiation period. Starting at 12 p.m. EDT on March 13 and ending at 3:59:59 p.m. EDT on March 15, clubs are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2022 Player Contracts at 4 p.m. EDT on March 15.

The 2023 NFL Year and Free Agency period begins at 4 p.m. EDT on March 15. The Raiders are expected to be significant players in the free-agent market this season.

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