Calijah Kancey 2023 NFL Draft Profile: Everything you need to know about potential Jets target
With the Jets set to pick 13th in the 2023 NFL Draft, let's take a look at one prospect who may be a target: Pittsburgh defensive lineman Calijah Kancey.
By The Numbers
- Height: 6-foot-1
- Weight: 281 pounds
- 40-Yard Dash: 4.67
- Vertical: 33.5 inches
- Bench: N/A
- Broad Jump: N/A
- 2022 Stats (11 games played): 31 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks
Prospect Overview
NFL.com: Undersized, one-gapping defensive tackle who is explosive and productive. He’s a strong and determined player, but Kancey is still going to be a hit-or-miss run defender due to his lack of mass and length. While he will get pushed around at times, his first-step quickness and short memory allow him to make tackles in the backfield. He’s a nightmare for offenses as a pass rusher. His twitchy feet can slide and reset points of attack. His leverage and motor are often too much for guards to handle alone. Kancey might be most effective as a rotational run defender and full-time, sub-package rusher, but his size will not define him in the NFL.
The Draft Network: Kancey is a spark plug on the interior of the defensive line. He plays with incredible urgency and fires into the neutral zone with quickness and intent. He’s extremely physical and tough, willing to exchange power with blockers that have 30-plus pounds on him on a weekly basis. He does well to take advantage of his quickness and built-in leverage to win with first contact, shoot gaps, and work to the edges of blocks. Kancey is slippery working off contact and he’s pretty flexible. Overall, his contact balance is very impressive given his size.
Why Kancey makes sense for the Jets
The Jets recently tried to sign Calais Campbell and Fletcher Cox but came up short. This signals their desire to pair an impact player with Quinnen Williams on the defensive interior. With Sheldon Rankins and Nathan Shepherd departing in free agency, the Jets re-signed Solomon Thomas and added Quinton Jefferson. However, both signed a one-year deal, so bringing in a rookie to develop alongside Williams over the next few years would seem smart.
Kancey is a bit of a unicorn because he’s so undersized, but his quickness makes him hard to block and his ability to shoot gaps and get into the backfield is tailor-made for the Jets’ system.
When evaluating Kancey, it’s impossible to ignore the similarities to future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Donald. Both attended Pittsburgh and were disruptive and productive as undersized interior defenders. Kancey’s workout numbers also stack up favorably against Donald’s. There are also some key differences, though. Donald has longer arms, was more productive in college with 27.5 sacks in his last three seasons to just 16 by Kancey, and he also has outstanding upper-body strength. Kancey was unable to showcase his upper-body strength at the combine or his pro day because a shoulder injury prevented him from taking part in the bench press.
Despite these differences, if Kancey can bring some of the same things to the table that Donald does, he could have limitless potential. It may be a risky pick, but if the Jets are confident Kancey can fulfil a role within their system, he could add another dimension to their defense.
NFL Comparison
NFL.com: John Randle
