Tag: Calijah Kancey

281-pound Calijah Kancey’s lightning-quick 40-yard dash surpassed Aaron Donald’s time

Someone this massive shouldn’t be able to move THIS fast!

If the Los Angeles Rams’ Aaron Donald ever retires, we might have gotten an early glimpse of who could actually emulate him. At least, in terms of athleticism.

Thursday saw the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine test interior defensive linemen in on-field drills. (Remember, not everyone who dominates goes on to great careers.) One of the more highly touted prospects was Pittsburgh product and 2022 Unanimous All-American Calijah Kancey.

At a listed 281 pounds, Kancey would be considered relatively “undersized” for an interior defensive lineman. But with 14.5 tackles-for-loss and 7.5 sacks in his final college campaign, scouts are excited by the young man’s possible ability to be a disruptor at the next level.

Boy, did Kancey show off his potential when it came time to run the 40-yard dash:

Oh … oh my goodness?

Again, I know Kancey is “undersized” for his position, but that’s still a very large human being. I’d say I’m shocked it’s the fastest time by a DT in 23 years — even faster than Donald’s time of 4.68 at the 2014 combine — but now I’m not so sure.

What Kancey lacks in size he certainly makes up for with speed. (Also, look at former Chicago Bears DT Tommie Harris!)

If Kancey can move like that, all bets are off for him as a coveted prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft. No one will dare overlook Kancey for his size if his athleticism is, quite literally, off the charts.

Vikings draft prospects: DT Calijah Kancey runs blazing 40 yard dash

An impressive performance from the former Pitt Panther on Thursday afternoon

The Minnesota Vikings are in the process of looking for the next rookie class to wear purple and gold and one of them just had a huge performance.

In the first group of the 2023 NFL scouting combine, Pittsburgh defensive tackle Calijah Kancey ran a blazing 4.67 seconds in the 40-yard dash. Per Mockdraftable, that time is tied for the best-ever by a defensive lineman and puts him in the 100th percentile. The only other player to run that fast was Milton Williams from Louisiana Tech in 2021.

Along with an elite 40-yard dash, Kancey also posted an elite 10-yard split at 1.64. That time is good enough to be in the 95th percentile. That fits with what general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah prioritizes: quickness.

Kancey is viewed as an undersized 3-technique defensive tackle and those issues weren’t put to rest after measuring in at 6’1″ and 281 lbs. He is a very similar height and weight to former Pitt alum Aaron Donald, but they aren’t the same player.

With the defense that Brian Flores likes to run, it will be interesting if Kancey is on the Vikings’ radar because he doesn’t appear to be a system fit on paper.

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3 interior defensive linemen Saints fans should watch at the NFL Scouting Combine

With the NFL Scouting Combine underway, here are 3 defensive tackles #Saints fans should be watching, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

As the NFL Scouting Combine workouts get under way on Wednesday, there will be a few players for New Orleans Saints fans to watch closely. One position in particular will pique interest based on the undeniable need at the position: interior defensive line. While the Saints try to work out another extensions with 2016 fourth-round draft pick David Onyemata, they currently have no defensive tackles under contract in 2023.

While some free agents will be tempting, adding young talent from the draft should be seen as a high-priority for head coach Dennis Allen’s defense. This year’s interior defensive line class is an impressively deep one, especially if a team is in the search for a run-stuffer. But there will be a few disruptive pass-rushers available as well. Here are three defensive tackles to focus in on at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine, what to watch for and which roles they could serve in New Orleans

Bleacher Report’s candidate for Browns’ perfect draft prospect is far from it

Pass.

There is no doubt the Cleveland Browns need to reconstruct their defensive line this offseason for new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. However, Bleacher Report’s perfect fit for them in the 2023 NFL Draft will not accomplish that as they paired the Browns with Pitt defensive tackle Calijah Kancey.

Perhaps the team with a historically bad run defense should look elsewhere for an answer than an undersized outlier who struggles to anchor in against the run. With the 42nd overall pick, the Browns would be better off attacking an explosive threat at wide receiver like Cincinnati’s Tyler Scott, then taking advantage of the depth of the defensive tackle (Alabama’s Byron Young) class in the third round.

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Eagles bulk up in the trenches in Mel Kiper’s latest 2023 NFL mock draft

The Philadelphia Eagles land an offensive and defensive tackle in Mel Kiper’s latest first-round mock draft for ESPN

The 2023 NFL draft is fast approaching and all 32 teams are at Lucas Oil Stadium this week and are doing their due diligence on potential prospects.

Thanks to some draft night wizardry from Howie Roseman, the Eagles traded the No. 16 overall pick, No. 19 overall pick, and a 2022 sixth-round pick to the New Orleans Saints for the No. 18 overall pick, a 2022 third-round pick, a 2022 seventh-round pick, a 2023 first-round pick, and a 2024 second-round pick.

We tracked Philadelphai’s picks via Tankathon, and after New Orleans went 7-10, Philadelphia locked down a top-ten selection.

ESPN’s legendary draft guru, Mel Kiper, Just released his second mock draft of 2023, and he has the Eagles reloading in the trenches with their two first-round picks.

Vikings Mock Draft Roundup 8.0: 44 unique players

The Vikings continue to get mocked new players each week and we are getting close to having 50 unique players

Mock draft season is upon us and that means our mock draft roundup is back!

What we do every week is track the mainstream outlets mock drafts and aggregate how many times a player gets selected. Last season, we tallied up 173 mock drafts and only 10 of them were on offense. This season could end up being much of the same.

We will track them and try to determine trends and patterns, along with giving my own analysis on how they could fit with the Minnesota Vikings.

This week, we have 23 new mock drafts and they are all over the place with what the Vikings are projected to do.

Mock Draft Roundup 7.0

Vikings get disruptive defensive lineman in latest CBS Sports mock draft

Taking an undersized defensive lineman is an interesting choice, but he can get after the passer

The Minnesota Vikings have found themselves in a position this offseason where they need help across the entire defense, including the defensive line. Last week, the Vikings worked with Dalvin Tomlinson to push out his void date so the two sides could evaluate the free agency market and figure out if it’s best to part ways. Regardless of whether they re-sign Tomlinson, there is still a need for depth across the defensive line.

Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports released his mock draft on Sunday and gave the Vikings some depth with Pittsburgh defensive lineman Calijah Kancey.

I’ve always said any time you can take a disruptive, undersized tackle from Pitt, you have to do it. OK, so Calijah Kancey isn’t Aaron Donald, but hardly anybody is. But he is disruptive and plays every snap like it’s his last. He could be an absolute steal for the Vikings or anybody who takes him.

Fornelli is right that Kancey could be a steal for many teams. While he is smaller in stature, he makes up for it with his relentlessness. Kancey is a player who continued to fight on every down and is a pest for offensive linemen.

The range varies depending on where draft experts think Kancey will be taken. Should the Vikings draft him, they’ll be getting a disruptive player with extreme upside.

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VIDEO: Which under-the-radar prospects will be household names after the scouting combine?

Which relatively unknown draft prospects will be household names after their performances at the scouting combine? 

Every week in “4-Down Territory,” Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar and Luke Easterling of Bucs Wire and Draft Wire go over the things you need to know about, and the things you need to watch, in the NFL right now. It’s all about draft prospects with the scouting combine getting started this week, so Doug and Luke get into a bunch of questions about all the draft prospects looking to raise their games in Indianapolis — both on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium, and in private interviews with NFL teams.

Which relatively unknown draft prospects will be household names after their performances at the scouting combine? 

Doug: Pitt defensive lineman Calijah Kancey, who excelled in college at 6-foot-0 and 280 pounds (unofficial). The Pitt connection and the fact that he’s undersized have people comparing him to Aaron Donald, and I’m not willing to go that far, he reminds me a ton of Grady Jarrett, which isn’t bad, either. Kancey is a defender with an assassin’s mentality, which makes me think he’s going to be really violent in the bag drills, and I think he’s quick and agile enough to ace the 40 (specifically the 10- and 20-yard splits), and all the movement exercises, as well. I don’t know if anything will push him into the first round, because some teams will have no idea what to do with him at that size, but as they say, all it takes is one team to make that a reality. 

Luke: Man, I’ve gotta cheat here. There are a few guys I think fall into this category, and I’m excited to watch them all. Kansas State CB Julius Brents is a legit 6-3, 200-plus, with length for days. If he runs fast and looks good in the cone drills, he could fly up the board. Arkansas LB Drew Sanders was a 5-star recruit to Alabama, and has a great blend of size, length, athleticism and versatility that teams should fall in love with in Indy. Georgia Tech’s Keion White is the last guy, again because of size, athleticism, and versatility. All of these guys should be household names after the combine.

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4-Down Territory: 2023 scouting combine preview

It’s scouting combine time! Doug Farrar and Luke Easterling are here to ask answer all the questions about this year’s prominent draft event.

Every week in “4-Down Territory,” Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar and Luke Easterling of Bucs Wire and Draft Wire go over the things you need to know about, and the things you need to watch, in the NFL right now. It’s all about draft prospects with the scouting combine getting started this week, so Doug and Luke get into a bunch of questions about all the draft prospects looking to raise their games in Indianapolis — both on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium, and in private interviews with NFL teams.

This week’s pressing questions:

1. Which top-tier prospect most needs a great combine performance?

2. Who among the lesser-known prospects could see their stock rise in Indianapolis?

3. Which prospects will be most reliant on positive medical reports?

4. Finally, which prospect are you most looking forward to seeing in the on-field drills?

You can watch this week’s episode of “4-Down Territory” right here!

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Daniel Jeremiah names NFL draft risers for Saints fans to watch at the combine

NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah named several draft prospects on the rise for Saints fans to watch at this year’s scouting combine:

There aren’t many NFL draft analysts clued into the annual event better than Daniel Jeremiah, who has risen to prominence with NFL Network. This week he met with members of the media for a sprawling conference call ahead of the 2023 NFL scouting combine, touching on this year’s talented crop of college prospects.

And he shared some insight into three players that New Orleans Saints fans should be watching carefully once they hit the field at Lucas Oil Stadium next week to go through a series of athletic timing and agility drills. These are some prospects on the rise at, as Jeremiah sees them, New Orleans’ positions of need: