(2023) Calijah Kancey-DT-Pittsburgh
Calijah Kancey
DT/DE
6’0, 280
RS Junior
2022 Statistics (Per PFF)
*(Ranking is out of the 330 Defensive Linemen with 300+ Snaps this season)
Write-Up:
Calijah Kancey is a redshirt junior interior defensive lineman from Pittsburgh who has seen action all across the defensive line in his 3 years of playing time. As a Panther, Kancey largely lined up as a 3-tech defensive tackle, but also lined up as a 1-tech, 2i, and even some 5-tech defensive end. While at Pitt, Kancey put up some incredible pass rushing statistics, finishing his career with 111 total pressures and 19 sacks.
Calijah Kancey may be the most explosive interior defensive player in this class, next to Jalen Carter. He possesses an elite first step and is already a master at timing the snap. He is incredibly twitchy as a rusher and has very fluid and consistent movement that allow him to essentially rush however he pleases. To go along with his elite acceleration and speed, Kancey also has “superhuman” level strength (especially for his size!) and generates it with his very strong lower half. Not only does Kancey have the athleticism, he has a full arsenal of pass rush and counter moves that he is consistently successful with. His counter moves in particular make him a great block shedder, which allows him to be very useful in run defense despite his size and length limitations. Kancey plays very physically and can be a violent tackler when given the chance.
The most glaring concern when it comes to Kancey is his diminutive size, as he is listed at just 6’0, 280. Thankfully for him, players of comparable size have found success at the next level (Aaron Donald, Grady Jarrett, etc.), but it does mean he will likely not fit the desired build for many NFL teams. His lack of arm length is a problem, especially in run defense as the ball carrier can easily work around him if they are able to. To compensate, Kancey often has to overextend and try to blow up running plays in the backfield, to varying degrees of success. His size also makes it very tough for him to win against double teams if they are deployed against him.
Overall, Calijah Kancey is immediately going to draw Aaron Donald comparisons thanks to his size profile and college. While he probably is not the freak athlete that Donald is, Kancey does display similar traits and a similar playing style to the future Hall of Famer that should grab the attention of scouts. While his specific role will only truly work on a select few teams, Kancey has the potential to become a dominant interior player for a very long time if he goes to the right team that knows how to deploy him properly.
Draft Projection: 1st-2nd Round
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