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?
The problem with small defensive tackles
Everyone wants the next Aaron Donald and who can blame them?
Donald, who measured in at 6 feet during the 2014 NFL Combine, has 103 sacks in 138 games and has three defensive players of the year in the last six seasons.
The problem in wanting the next Donald is that everyone forgets to realize that for every Donald, there’s a small defensive tackle who fails to carve out a role in the NFL. Donald might be the new rule, but there’s a better chance he’s nothing more than an exception.
While Kancey could be the next Donald, it’s more likely that he will struggle to find that kind of success in the NFL.
Turning on Kancey’s film is a harsh reminder that small defensive tackles don’t always work in the NFL.
Kancey is almost a complete non-factor against the run, and his size doesn’t do him any favors. His struggles against the run aren’t an effort problem, but it’s more of a “he’s too short to have NFL defensive tackle strength” problem.
In double teams, those problems become even more of a concern. Throw two big guys at Kancey, and he’ll likely struggle to impact the play.
In the NFL, that’ll almost certainly be a problem. Defensive tackles get double-teamed in the NFL, it’s just the reality for your bigger linemen. If your interior defensive lineman can’t shed those blocks and make a play, he might as well not be playing.
While those concerns can be mitigated in even fronts, that limits the teams he can go to significantly. Odd front base defenses are becoming commonplace in the NFL, and that defense asks their interior guys to take on two interior offensive linemen at a higher level.
Switching to EDGE
Watching Calijah Kancey immediately reminded me of Melvin Ingram.
At the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine, Ingram measured 6-foot-1 and 264 pounds and posted an 8.89 relative athletic score at defensive end.
Comparing the two athletic scores at defensive end paints a clear picture of how similar Kancey and Ingram are.
Although Kancey has about 20 pounds on NFL Draft Ingram, the two are both under 6-foot-2 and explosive athletes for the position. Unlike Kancey, though, Ingram was being evaluated as a defensive end and not a defensive tackle.
While asking a player to change positions in the NFL is a daunting and challenging task, Calijah Kancey would be better served as an edge rusher at the next level.
Kancey’s athleticism screams out on tape. It’s the first strength I noticed, and it’s the thing that separates him in this class.
Despite being close to 300 pounds than 250 pounds, Kancey has an incredible first step and burst that allows him to make up for the size deficiencies. That burst, however, feels better utilized as an edge rusher, where he would be playing offensive tackles who are often lighter.
Against North Carolina and Tennessee, Kancey created plays in the backfield thanks to his first step, but those plays would often be sandwiched between bad reps where his size became a major concern.
Kancey’s size and first step could create a unique problem for offenses in the NFL. There aren’t many edge rushers who weigh more than 275 pounds and have Kancey’s athleticism to pair with it.
In this sack against Tennessee, it’s easy to see Kancey’s twitch and ability to make an impact. He’s in the backfield rather quickly, and most linemen can’t handle that amount of burst.
His experience playing as an interior defensive lineman could help in the NFL, too. On obvious passing downs, Kancey could kick inside and play as a pass-rushing defensive tackle, allowing him to use his speed against slower players. Kancey wouldn’t have to worry about defending the run in these situations, meaning he could have a free trigger to create havoc in the backfield.
Projecting his productiveness as an edge rusher is difficult because he doesn’t have film there, but Ingram turned into a near double-digit sacks player with the Chargers, and Kancey could be similar.
Kancey's fit with the Vikings as an edge rusher
Melvin Ingram was a late off-season pickup by the Miami Dolphins last season, where he played under defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, a disciple of Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
Although Ingram was a rotational pass rusher for the Dolphins, he still finished with six sacks and seven tackles for loss. He was crucial for the Dolphins on third downs as well, where Boyer would put him on the field alongside Jaelan Phillips and Nick Chubb.
With the Vikings picking late in the first round, Flores could get his own Melvin Ingram in Kancey, who has a good chance of being available at their selection.
The Vikings don’t need to take an edge rusher early after signing Marcus Davenport in free agency, but Kancey’s unique skillset as an edge rusher could be intriguing.
Kancey would likely operate as a stand-up edge rusher on most downs before kicking inside on passing downs. When Flores goes to even fronts, Kancey could operate as a defensive end, playing a 4-technique or 5-technique.
