Calijah Kancey beats Aaron Donald’s 40-yard dash record, draws comparisons to Rams star
Aaron Donald no longer owns the record for the fasted 40-yard dash time ever by a defensive tackle. That’s now held by another former Pitt Panther, Calijah Kancey.
The standout defensive lineman blazed a 4.67 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine on Thursday, the first day of workouts for prospects in Indianapolis. That barely edged out Donald’s record time of 4.68, which he set in 2014.
Per @NextGenStats, Pittsburgh’s Calijah Kancey ran an official 4.67-second 40-yard dash, the fastest time recorded by a defensive tackle at the NFL Combine since 2003.
Cc: @LRiddickESPN
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 2, 2023
It was a ridiculously impressive time by the 281-pound defensive tackle from Pitt. So impressive that the NFL’s Twitter account overlayed it with Donald’s 40-yard dash from nine years ago.
Both players were moving.
Couple of @Pitt_FB DLs on the Simulcam. 🤝@Ckancey8 | @AaronDonald97
📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
📱: Stream on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/0y224YXeA5— NFL (@NFL) March 2, 2023
Unsurprisingly, Kancey is drawing comparisons to Donald and is cementing his place as a potential first-round pick in April. It’s hard not to see the similarities between the two players, and not just because they both went to Pitt.
Kancey is a quarter-inch taller than Donald, 4 pounds lighter and was 0.01 seconds slower in the 10-yard split during his 40-yard dash, giving them very similar athleticism scores.
Calijah Kancey's size and athletic profile is comparable to fellow @Pitt_FB defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
Calijah Kancey ('23)
🔹 6'1", 281 lbs, 4.67 40
🔹 92 Athleticism ScoreAaron Donald ('14)
🔹 6'0 3/4", 285 lbs, 4.68 40
🔹 98 Athleticism Score pic.twitter.com/TC6orxKEXF— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) March 2, 2023
No one is saying Kancey will be a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and future Hall of Famer like Donald, but the physical traits between the two are hard to ignore.
The Rams could be in the market for a defensive lineman this offseason if Greg Gaines and A’Shawn Robinson leave, and while Kancey plays the same position as Donald, it wouldn’t hurt to have another highly athletic 3-technique on the roster.
