The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the market for depth at interior defensive line heading into the 2023 NFL Draft. Many draft experts have linked the team to Bryan Bresee from Clemson due to his impressive athleticism and fit within the 3-4 defense of the Steelers. Additionally, there has been speculation that the Steelers have shown interest in trading up for Georgia's Jalen Carter if he somehow ends up falling to the Chicago Bears' pick at number nine, which the Steelers have reportedly been in talks with the Bears about.
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Clemson DT, Bryan Bresee
One name that has not been mentioned much is Pittsburgh's own, Calijah Kancey who is projected to be a late first-round selection. As a potential first-round pick, one would assume that teams would be quick to schedule official Top-30 meetings with Kancey. However, for whatever reason, this has not been the case. During a recent interview on NFL Network, Kancey revealed that he has not held an official meeting with any NFL team. An extremely unusual situation for such an accomplished collegiate player. Predicting what exactly this means for his draft stock is difficult to gauge. Fortunately for the Steelers, it may just mean that they can land the former Pittsburgh Panther with one of their second-round selections.
Pitt's DT Calijah Kancey, who is expected to go in the first round, just said on NFL NOW on @nflnetwork he did not go on a single official visit.
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) April 19, 2023
Kancey Is Absolutely Deserving Of Being A First-Round Selection
The lack of interest from NFL teams in Kancey has nothing to do with his productivity during his collegiate career. During his time at Pittsburgh, he racked up 16 sacks to go along with a staggering 34.5 tacks for loss. He was voted the ACC Defensive Player of the Year for the 2022 season and was a first-team AP All-American. His athleticism and speed made him an absolute nightmare for opposing offenses and has demonstrated time and time again his ability to rush the passer.
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Pitt’s Calijah Kancey was named to PFF’s team of the week
Perhaps the only major flaw with Kancey is something he can not control, size. At 6'1", 280 pounds, he will most likely need to add at least 10-15 pounds to be effective at the next level. Being undersized is certainly less than ideal, but there is no denying the amount of talent that Kacney possesses, as he is one of the most productive defensive linemen in college football over the last two seasons. Does this not make him one of the most intriguing interior defensive line prospects in this year's class? Difficult to answer.
The lack of Top-30 visits may not mean much of anything by the time the 2023 NFL Draft rolls around. However, if he somehow slips very far into the second-round, one would have to wonder what exactly about Kancey's game makes him an undesirable prospect.
Not one team calling up Calijah Kancey for a top 30 visit is ridiculous. Never heard of such a thing before.
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) April 19, 2023
Could The Steelers Potentially Land Kancey With One Of Their Second-Round Picks?
Ultimately, Kancey does not fit the traditional mold of a defensive tackle for the Steelers defense. The team usually prefers prospects with greater size and long arms. With that being said, if Kancey is still on the board at #32, or perhaps even #49, the team may have to seriously consider the idea of bringing him in. The Steelers are not in dire need of starting-quality players along the defensive line, but with Cam Heyward entering his age-33 season and Larry Ogunjobi often struggling with injuries, having Kancey would provide tremendous depth to the Steelers up front.
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Pittsburgh Steelers DT Cam Heyward
The 2022 season taught the Steelers that having a solid rotation of players along the defensive line is incredibly important. While the Steelers have done well in adding players such as Breiden Fehoko and Armon Watts to the mix this offseason, neither of them has the same type of game-wrecking ability as Kancey. Undersized? Yes, but this does not define the type of player Kancey is. He may end up being exactly what the Steelers need to help transform their defense into one of the most feared units in all of the NFL.
Thoughts, Steeler Nation?
Alright, yinz. I'm sure a lot of you have already seen Kancey play extensively during his time at Pitt. How do you think he would fare on the Steelers? What is your best guess as to why he has not held any official visits? Let us know in the comments!
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