Pittsburgh defensive tackle Calijah Kancey is one of the hottest prospects out there and should find a professional team at some point during the first day of the 2023 NFL Draft. The defensive tackle is basically a lesser version of Aaron Donald, as he’s slightly undersized but excels at collapsing the pocket and is adequate against the run. While he won’t be as good as Donald (nobody is), he should be ready to contribute from Day 1, and these five teams make the most sense as potential destinations.
An unofficial 6.91 on Calijah Kancey’s 3-cone drill. Would’ve been fastest among DT at the combine. #Pitt: pic.twitter.com/Rpsazd6q8O
— Christopher Carter (@CarterCritiques) March 29, 2023
Top 5 Teams That Could Draft Calijah Kancey, Ranked
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints lost a lot of talent along the defensive line in free agency, and they didn’t do much to address all the departed talent. Khalen Saunders is a fine role player, but he can’t help this team as much as Calijah Kancey could. While he is undersized for the position, his ability to get after the quarterback and collapse the pocket from the interior makes him an ideal fit in a division with so much young and inexperienced quarterback play.
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills will have an elite offense as long as Josh Allen is under center, so it stands to reason that the team could invest its resources into building the best defense possible. Opposing teams will have to throw the ball early and often to keep up with Buffalo’s offense, so it’s crucial they get somebody that can get after the quarterback when the opposing offense drops back to pass. Calijah Kancey excels at this and should make a positive impact on this team on Day 1.
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys have a strong defense, but their primary weakness is along the interior defensive line. Calijah Kancey would singlehandedly turn this weakness into a strength, and opposing offensive coordinators would lose sleep over trying to find ways to block Kancey, Micah Parsons, and Demarcus Lawrence. Pairing that defensive line with one of the better offenses in football would go a long way in making the Cowboys one of the teams to beat in the NFC.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals have bigger needs than defensive tackle, but there might not be any better players on the board when they are on the clock. Even though they have adequate interior linemen now, Calijah Kancey would still probably be the best on the team, especially as a pass rusher. Collapsing the pocket is crucial when you share a division with Deshaun Watson and a conference with Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers had arguably the worst defensive tackles in football last year. The team simply couldn’t stop any rushes up the middle, and Morgan Fox was the only player capable of getting after the quarterback from inside. Calijah Kancey isn’t going to be an elite run defender, but that won’t matter too much when he’s so good against the pass. Just like with Allen and the Bills, Justin Herbert’s presence ensures that the Chargers will have an elite offense, and other teams will likely be playing catch-up by throwing the ball. Los Angeles doesn’t need a great defense to be competitive, they just need basic competence, and Calijah Kancey can help the team achieve that goal.
