The Pittsburgh Steelers made a franchise altering decision in the 2022 NFL Draft by selecting a hometown talent in quarterback Kenny Pickett from the University of Pittsburgh. It is a well-known fact that the Steelers have the most information on any and all players that are in the locker room next door. That being said, does it increase the likelihood of them drafting defensive tackle Calijah Kancey?
Photo Credit: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers Keeping An Eye On Kancey
Before arriving at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on February 27, scouts had a lengthy list of questions about him. The biggest one revolved primarily around the frame of his body. On the official team roster at Pitt, Kancey is listed as being six feet tall and weighing 280 pounds. That’s pretty big for an average person, but when playing defensive tackle on either a collegiate or professional level football team, it’s actually viewed as being undersized. Despite this, Kancey believes he can still excel at his position.
“The height, it doesn’t matter to me, honestly,” Kancey said. “Playing defensive tackle, you’ve got to play with great pad level. No defensive linemen play at 6-7. You’ve got to bend at the point of attack, and you’ve got to play with good footwork, good pad level or you’re going to get moved around. So, I feel like my height has nothing to do with me playing that position.”
Thankfully for Kancey, his head coach Pat Narduzzi felt the same way. Narduzzi understood Kancey doesn’t have the traditional size of a defensive tackle but by no means does it affect his performance.
“I’m never worried about size,” Narduzzi said. “You know, sometimes those bigger guys can get knocked off the ball quicker. He’s played big. This is big boy football.”
Kancey proved at the combine that being a smaller defensive tackle meant he was also speedier than most by clocking in a 4.67 in the 40-yard dash. That time was the quickest time recorded for a defensive tackle since 2003. Kancey did not take part in the three-cone or shuttle drills in Indy, but he did so recently at Pitt’s pro day.
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On Wednesday March 29, Kancey ran both the three-cone drill and the shuttle drill as part of his pro day with many scouts in attendance. Kancey performed exceptionally well in both drills according to Mike DeFabo from The Athletic as Kancey’s time for the shuttle was 4.33 while clocking in at 6.82 in the three-cone drill. Both of these individual times were faster than any recorded at the combine for a defensive tackle.
Kancey Keen On Being Himself
Kancey has been at the University of Pittsburgh since 2019 and has played well in his three years, continuously improving each year. The red shirt junior had his best season in 2022, leading the nation for interior defensive linemen, by totaling 14.5 tackles for loss and accruing 7.5 sacks. As a result of this performance, Kancey was rewarded with the ACC Defensive Player of the Year award, as well as being named a unanimous All-American.
Kancey’s decorated collegiate resume combined with his physical intangibles have had many coaches comparing him to another former Pitt Panther, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Kancey appreciates the compliment of being affiliated with arguably the best defensive player in NFL history, but he prefers to just be himself.
“That’s a great comparison,” Kancey said. “Something to be happy about. But I’m Calijah Kancey.”
As it currently stands, the Steelers do not have a meeting setup with Kancey as part of the team’s pre-draft assessment, and it unfortunately might have to do with Kancey’s size. Even though Kancey has more than proven himself to be a beast regardless of his body type, the Steelers track record shows that they tend to lean towards bigger bruisers when looking at defensive tackles.
Cam Heyward, for example, is listed at six foot five inches tall and weighing 295 pounds. Other defensive tackles on the roster such as Larry Ogunjobi, Montravius Adams, and Isaiahh Loudermilk are all at least six foot three inches tall and weigh roughly 300 pounds. While big bodies at defensive tackle might be viewed as the norm, it may be time for the Steelers to break away from that tradition.
“There’s a lot of teams that like me,” Kancey said. “I’ve just got to find someone who falls in love with me.”
Is Calijah Kancey someone who should be on the Steelers radar? Let us know your thoughts in the comments and on social media.
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