Calijah Kancey, DL Pittsburgh: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Kancey was a three-star athlete recruit from Miami Northwestern Senior High in Miami, Fla. in the class of 2019

Calijah Kancey played everywhere along the defensive line for the Pittsburgh Panthers. His college versatility won’t translate to the NFL, but the undersized lineman has several intriguing traits that make him one of the most polarizing evaluations in the 2023 NFL Draft.

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Calijah Kancey, DL Pittsburgh: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt junior defensive tackle from Miami, Fla.

Background: Kancey was a three-star athlete recruit from Miami Northwestern Senior High in Miami, Fla. in the class of 2019. He was the No. 850 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 828 for On3.com. Kancey was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 77 grade out of 100. He earned First-Team All-Florida Class 6A honors in high school and helped Miami Northwestern win back-to-back Florida 6A state championships. Kancey amassed more than 200 tackles over his final two seasons, with 110 coming in 2018 and 98 coming in 2017. He was born on March 1, 2001.

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed two games in 2022 with an injury

Awards: 2020 Freshman All-American (FWAA), 2021 First-Team All-ACC, 2021 Third-Team All-American, 2022 First-Team All-ACC, 2022 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, 2022 First-Team All-American

Pros: Special teams experience on the kick return, punt return, and field goal block units, experience lining up everywhere on the defensive line, motor runs hot, competitive toughness, twitched up for a defensive lineman, elite quickness off the line, builds momentum and speed on stunts, closing burst, athletic mismatch for interior linemen, linemen struggle to mirror his rush, quick feet, ankle flexibility, some bend in his lower half, impressive lateral agility, excellent lower body strength, consistent leg drive through contact, plays with excellent leverage, combination of leverage and leg drive helps him displace linemen as a rusher, knifes between linemen, hyperactive upper body, swim/arm-over move, spin move, plenty of swipes, counters, and hand combos, violent swipes leading into swim move, fits hands into lineman’s pads, hands pack some knockback, excels at slipping off blocks with angles, hand usage, and agility, change of direction skills and agility to make one-on-one tackles with skill position players

Cons: Historical outlier in the wrong way for an interior player, poor arm length, average bend for an edge rusher at best, needs to diversify pass rush plan, struggles to hold up at the point of attack, double teams are his worst nightmare, sealed to open run lanes, collapsed like a folding chair by Darnell Wright (2022), engulfed and driven out of plays with powerful linemen with long arms, instances of powerful clamps giving him trouble, late to get set, occasionally dives low instead of driving through ball carriers for tackles

Overview: Kancey took official measurements at the NFL Combine. He’s 6005 and weighs 281 lbs. He has 9 1/8-inch hands and 30 5/8-inch arms. Kancey lined up everywhere from 0-tech to 5-tech for Pittsburgh but primarily played 4i, 3-tech, and 2-tech. However, he projects as a defensive end at the next level because of his limited size. Even as a defensive end, Kancey is a historical outlier because of his small arms. There’s still a lot to like about the redshirt junior. He offers special teams upside to see the field early in his rookie season and provides versatility for exotic defensive fronts. Hit motor and competitive toughness are through the roof. Kancey is twitchy throughout his frame, capable of making sudden and explosive lateral jumps or lightning-fast swats. He flashes elite quickness off the line. Kancey builds momentum and speed on stunts before finishing with his closing burst. The former three-star recruit is an athletic mismatch for interior linemen who struggle to mirror his rush. His bend and ankle flexibility are unique assets for an interior player but only average for an edge rusher. Kancey has quick feet and impressive lateral agility. Despite his size, the Pittsburgh product has excellent lower body strength and leg drive that help him play through contact. His elite leverage comes naturally and combines with his leg drive to displace linemen as a pass rusher. Kancey is a slippery defender who knifes between linemen to penetrate the backfield. He has an active upper body that enables him to win on a swim/arm-over move frequently. His pass rush arsenal also includes a spin move and plenty of violent swipes, counters, and hand combos. Kancey fits his hands well into the offensive lineman’s pads, and his hands pack some knockback. His change of direction skills and agility are terrific for a lineman and allow him to make one-on-one tackles against skill position players in space. The largest concern with Kancey outside of his size is his ability to hold up in run defense. The Florida native struggles to hold the point of attack and has no answers for double teams. He’s frequently sealed to open run lanes or driven out of gaps by powerful linemen pushing vertically. Kancey struggles to break free from strong clamps. There was a rep against Tennessee (2022) where tackle Darnell Wright folded the defensive lineman like a lawn chair. How Kancey handles facing linemen like Wright on a week-to-week basis in the NFL is a significant concern.

Overall, Kancey is a historically unique defensive lineman because of his poor arm length, undersized frame, elite quickness, and impressive twitch. He needs to continue diversifying his pass rush plan and prepare for a shift to edge rusher. Kancey’s athletic upside makes him an intriguing prospect, but he’s still an outlier who might never progress beyond playing a rotational role on passing downs.

Role & Scheme Fit: Passing down defensive end in a 4-3 scheme

Round Projection: Mid Second to Late Second

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 03-25-23