2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Calijah Kancey

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Calijah Kancey, 6-0/280 Defensive Tackle Pittsburgh

Calijah Kancey Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Very fast interior pass rusher

Tremendous burst off the ball

Rare first-step quickness

Loose hips

Closes on quarterbacks in a blur

Speed to dart by guards

Natural pad level

Plays low

Can redirect

Can sink his hips and play low

Agile to contort his body

Active hands to fight off blockers

Good vision, awareness

Dangerous three-technique rusher for a 4-3

Athletic upside to improve in the NFL

Good character

Weaknesses:

Extremely undersized

Lacks height

Lacks weight

Lacks length

Has issues as a run defender

Struggles with downhill runs straight at him

Could be limited to DPR role only

Summary: Kancey was one of the most consistent and steady interior pass rushers over the past two seasons. As a freshman in the shortened 2020 season, he collected 27 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He then broke out in his sophomore campaign, recording 33 tackles, seven sacks and a forced fumble. In 2022, Kancey was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and put up seven sacks and 31 tackles. While Kancey could stand to get stronger and add weight to his frame, he decided to enter the 2023 NFL Draft.

What makes Kancey stand out is his interior pass-rush ability. Off the snap, he is extremely explosive with phenomenal first-step quickness. Kancey is a lightning bolt, firing his gap to get upfield, and his speed to penetrate takes guards by surprise. With his crazy speed putting guards on their heels, Kancey is able to generate speed to power to push them out of the way to keep them from locking him up.

Kancey is an extremely fast interior defender who can fire upfield to get penetration into the pocket. He uses active hands to keep guards from getting a hold of him, and his natural pad level keeps him low with good leverage. Utilizing good athleticism, agility, and loose hips, Kancey can contort his body to dip underneath blockers and keep gaining on the quarterback. Kancey’s speed and athletic ability to contribute in the pass rush are his calling card to get end up as early selection in the 2023 NFL Draft and play in the pros.



In run defense, Kancey is a liability entering the next level. Considering he is vastly undersized for a pro defensive tackle, those issues may never change. Kancey lacks the length, height and weight to stand up blockers and keep them from creating a push. Kancey can get knocked off the ball, and power guards in the NFL are going to pose a problem for pushing him out of his gap. He is going to have real issues defending downhill runs coming straight at him.

Kancey is a true three-technique gap-shooting interior defensive tackle for the next level. However, his lack of size will likely make him a rotational player because he is not big enough to be a three-down starter and run defender. Kancey is a speciality player, and what he does well as a dynamic interior pass rusher makes him a rare and hard commodity to find. Hence, Kancey could late first-round consideration from a playoff team that is looking for an interior rush upgrade. In the 2023 NFL Draft, Kancey should not go lower than Round 2.



Player Comparison: Denico Autry. Kancey reminds me of Autry, but a shorter version. Autry (6-5, 285) has issues holding up as a run defender but is a dangerous interior pass rusher despite being light for a NFL defensive tackle. If Kancey can stick in the pros, he could be a dangerous interior rusher similar to Autry.

2023 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2023 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M Adetomiwa Adebawore, DE, Northwestern Jordan Addison, WR, USC Will Anderson, DE, Alabama Felix Anudike-Uzomah, DE, Kansas State Steve Avila, G, TCU Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland Micah Baskerville, LB, LSU Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin Matthew Bergeron, OT, Syracuse Mekhi Blackmon, CB, USC Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU Brian Branch, S, Alabama Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson Chase Brown, RB, Illinois Sydney Brown, S, Illinois Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA Malik Cunningham, QB, Louisvile Gervon Dexter, DT, Florida Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina Max Duggan, QB, TCU Jaelyn Duncan, OT, Maryland Zach Evans, RB, Ole Miss Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Notre Dame Isaiah Foskey, DE, Notre Dame Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon Derick Hall, OLB, Auburn Jaren Hall, QB, BYU Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma Daiyan Henley, LB, Washington State Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU Broderick Jones, G, Georgia Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa Will Levis, QB, Kentucky Quan Martin, CB, Illinois Cody Mauch, G, North Dakota State Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame Will McDonald, DE, Iowa State Kenny McIntosh, RB, Georgia Tanner McKee, QB, Stanford Kendre Miller, RB, TCU Jonathan Mingo, WR, Ole Miss Cam Mitchell, CB, Northwestern Malachi Moore, S, Alabama Mike Morris, DE, Michigan Wanya Morris, OT, Oklahoma Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State Zion Nelson, OT, Miami B.J. Ojulari, OLB, LSU Demarvion Overshown, LB, Texas Owen Pappoe, LB, Auburn Jarrett Patterson, C, Notre Dame Clark Phillips, CB, Utah Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas Chris Rodriguez, RB, Kentucky Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas Noah Sewell, LB, Oregon Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan Nolan Smith, DE, Georgia Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota Tyler Steen, OT, Alabama Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee Joe Tippman, C, Wisconsin O'Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida Henry To'oTo'o, LB, Alabama Tuli Tuipulotu, DE, USC D.J. Turner, CB, Michigan Lukas Van Ness, DE, Iowa Deuce Vaughn, RB, Kansas State Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia Keion White, DE, Georgia Tech Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

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