During the 2023 NFL Draft process, few prospects have been as polarizing as Pittsburgh’s Calijah Kancey.
That includes most of the quarterbacks (Anthony Richardson might have him beat) and many skill players in this draft. It also includes plenty of fringe first-round picks, like Kancey.
Many of the mixed opinions for Kancey originate from his NFL Scouting Combine performance. The 6-foot-1 interior defensive lineman posted a 9.60 relative athletic score, showcasing the explosiveness and athleticism that teams crave.
Calijah Kancey is a DT prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 9.60 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 64 out of 1585 DT from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/dcq1CsV4Ty #RAS pic.twitter.com/SzElgWcVYB
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 7, 2023
However, his size leaves a lot to be desired. He might have a similar profile to Aaron Donald, but there’s a good chance that Donald is nothing more than an extreme outlier. If that’s the case, Kancey’s future isn’t being painted by Bob Ross as a defensive tackle.
What if Kancey was just misunderstood, though? What if the solution to Kancey’s lack of size isn’t asking him to be the next Aaron Donald but instead asking him to switch positions in the NFL?