First Step: Baldonado has a solid first step overall but struggles the most with snap anticipation. He has solid straight line athleticism but lacks that elite twitch when carrying speed through his arc. When working from a three-point stance, he can generate a solid first step when loading up his stance.
Bend: Baldonado has much more bend than I was expecting, however, he’s still not elite here. He can flatten his hips and lean into his opponent when working through his arc. He can stack and shed with good power due to his hip flexibility, which can get him unhinged from opponents.
Hand Usage: Baldonado has solid hand usage, with room to grow the most as a pass rusher. When facing the running, Baldonado can struggle to properly place his hands to framed blocks despite showing good hand power. He can have good tenacity versus the run and does a great job fighting opponents for leverage.
Pass Rush Plan: Baldonado needs the most development as a pass rusher. He can win now due to his first-step quickness, bend, and length around the edge but lacks elite counters to work with. Baldonado’s first step is often a weird hop into his arc in an attempt to create a burst around the offensive tackle. Instead, this leaves his pads open up for tackles to bury him at the top of his rush. He has enough length to stab the outer edges of his opponents to push tackles back into the pocket. His go-to move right now is speed to power and wins plenty off of that move, using his length to get under tackles to sack the QB.
Motor/Effort: Baldonado has plenty of effort/physicality to his game and plays tough throughout the down. Seldom did I see him take plays off, only failing to show effort on one screen plays to the running back. Baldonado plays a physical game of football in the run game and shows good force when attacking the ball carrier.
Lateral Mobility: Overall, Baldonado has good lateral agility but He can quickly change direction when working down the line of scrimmage in run and chase situations. Baldonado’s first step can get him up and moving but lacks the elite twitch when working from gap to gap.
Run Defense/Anchor: Baldonado lacks consistency when engaging with run fits despite playing with good length and good leverage from his hips. He can struggle with body control and playing from a leveraged stance when shooting off of the line of scrimmage. Baldonado also gets caught peeking into the backfield which leaves him open to be out-leveraged by opposing offensive linemen. He needs to improve upon his vision and stay disciplined with reading his keys on the offensive line. Despite this, his physical traits will help him early on as a gap penetrator.
Athletic Ability: Baldonado shows some plus athletic traits allowing him to work the edge but is still average at best. His bend is sufficient enough to corner opponents and to move laterally. However, he lacks the quick twitch expected of NFL outside pass rushers and his opponents could take advantage of that at the next level.
Strength: Baldonado shows solid strength for the edge pass rusher position. He can hold his own against offensive tackles and absolutely destroy tight ends from a wide alignment. He’ll lose on double teams due to a lack of core strength and placement versus opponents.
Versatility: Baldonado projects as a defensive end in a four-man front. He lacks the elite twitch and lateral agility to play in space as a stand-up rusher. He can add strength to hold up better against the run and playing from a loaded stance will allow him to quickly get into his arc.