Pitt DT Calijah Kancey Should Fly Up Draft Boards

Pitt Panthers defensive tackle Calijah Kancey has earned himself a lot of money in just a couple of days at the NFL Combine.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Two months ago, Pitt Panthers Calijah Kancey was barely showing up in first-round mock drafts and even when he did, he was being selected in the later half of that round. His size and a late-season shoulder injury had been hanging his over his head despite all of the obvious talent. 

Kaney's momentum continues to move in a positive direction and it took a huge spike following the first day of the NFL Combine. He weighed in heavier than expected but still moved faster than anyone at his position has, including an all-time great from Pitt, proving that his tantalizing blend of power and quickness was more than an illusion. 

He began to turn heads when his measurements came in - he stood one inch taller than expected and weighed a pound heavier at 6'1 and 281 pounds. Once he stepped on the field, spectators were wowed by his 40-yard dash time. It was the only drill he did during on-field workouts but Kancey made the most of it, clocking in with a record-low official time of 4.67. No defensive lineman has ever moved as fast as he did. 

Kancey's quickness should come as no surprise to those who have seen him play in college but this week at the NFL Combine, he proved why the first-round hype he's received with increasingly higher frequency and intensity is justified. The buzz has shifted from just first round to the top 10. 

Kancey's week here is all but done and it was a wild success. He came in needing to prove that his quickness was enough to compensate for his lack of height, weight and wingspan and he did more than that. The most impressive part of Kancey's short stay on the field in Indianapolis was his 1.64-second 10-yard split. The short-range quickness, arguably more important for a defensive lineman than long sprint speeds, showed up too. 

Ed Oliver, a stud defensive lineman out of Houston, measured just 7/8ths of an inch taller, six pounds heavier and his arms measured just 1 1/8th inches longer. Oliver was drafted ninth overall in 2019 without the body of work that Kancey has and was drafted ninth overall. 

The Seahawks, Falcons and Lions, all desperate to pick up a defensive lineman with their top-10 picks are good fits. After the show he's put on this week, it'd be a shock if Kancey falls beyond pick 20. He's earned the increasing stock that's followed him to the combine. 

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