Draft Target: Cowboys Eyeing Aaron Donald Clone?

Calijah Kancey has drawn Aaron Donald comparisons for reasons far beyond their shared Pittsburgh heritage. Could the Dallas Cowboys come calling?

Set to face the Los Angeles Rams in the 2023 NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys have to deal with Aaron Donald for at least another year.

So why not add his successor?

That's certainly a possibility for the Cowboys, who currently own the 26th overall pick in next month's NFL Draft in Kansas City. A viable target has emerged in that spot and in Donald's mold: Pittsburgh defensive tackle Calijah Kancey.

Kancey was last season's ACC's Defensive Player of the Year, a title previously earned by notable names like Derrick Brooks, Luke Kuechly ... and Donald. The current Los Angeles Rams defender has had his name mentioned in the same sentence as Kancey for reasons far beyond their shared experiences as Pitt Panthers, the two seemingly joined at the hip in their pre-draft build-ups.

Both interior defenders stand at 6-foot-1 and Kancey clocks in at a mere single pound heavier at 281. The current Panther also bested Donald in terms of a sterling showing at the NFL Scouting Combine's 40-yard dash, clocking in at 4.67 in Indianapolis. 

It'll obviously take a while for Kancey to fully duplicate Donald's packed NFL resume, but Kancey has already earned some high accolades before his first NFL snap. NFL.com, for example, compared him to Hall of Famer John Randle.

"He’s a strong and determined player, but Kancey is still going to be a hit-or-miss run defender due to his lack of mass and length," NFL.com writes. "While he will get pushed around at times, his first-step quickness and short memory allow him to make tackles in the backfield. He’s a nightmare for offenses as a pass rusher. His twitchy feet can slide and reset points of attack. His leverage and motor are often too much for guards to handle alone. Kancey might be most effective as a rotational run defender and full-time, sub-package rusher, but his size will not define him in the NFL."

While the Cowboys would no doubt enjoy having a de facto Donald in their arsenal, they'd be foolish not to look into the draft's interior defensive prospects, especially with Johnathan Hankins' uncertain future.

If he accomplishes half of what Donald has been able to do in his professional tenure, Kancey would be a steal at 26th overall. They have not drafted an interior defensive lineman in the first round since 1991 (Russell Maryland and Kelvin Pritchett at Nos. 1 and 20 respectively), though Trysten Hill was their first choice in the second round in 2019.

The 2023 NFL Draft will be held April 27-29. 

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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