Calijah Kancey DT Pittsburgh: Scouting Report

Height: 6’0

Weight: 280

Overall

Calijah Kancey is an undersized, but explosive defensive tackle in Pittsburgh's 4-3 defense. In his 4 collegiate seasons, he played in 37 games, starting 29 of them. He is a tremendous athlete and shows flashes of dominance on film.

Pass Game

As a pass rusher, Kancey is explosive and plays with a very high motor to constantly fight to get to the quarterback. He has a very quick first step and strong initial punch to collapse the pocket on bull-rushes. He has excellent lateral quickness and hand technique to get around his man and excel on stunts. His lack of size may bring him struggles against NFL linemen but his explosiveness, power, and ability to change direction will allow him to be an immediate impact player against the pass.

Run Game

In the run game, Kancey shows a lot of struggles on film. He will constantly get washed out of plays especially on zone runs where he will get overpowered by bigger, more physical linemen. His high motor and strength allow him to make plays at times but his lack of size and lack of ability to fight through lineman moving towards him will make it very hard for him to be a 3 down player to begin his career.

Last Word

Kancey played all over the line of scrimmage while in college but he projects best as a 3-technique defensive tackle in a 4-3 defense. He is a very good pass rusher and has a very unique skillset for his position. His blend of explosiveness and quickness is rare and if he improves as a run defender he can be a very strong interior lineman in the NFL. His pass-rush technique and motor will allow him to excel on 3rd downs and he has the athleticism to be used on multiple special teams units.

One-Liner: Calijah Kancey is an explosive pass rusher who will be an immediate impact player against the pass but he needs to improve against the run before he can be a consistent 3 down player.

Grade: 6.6 (Lower End Starter, Primarily on 3rd Downs)

Games Watched: 2022 - West Virginia, Tennessee

Team Fits: Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals