The mocks are coming fast and furious as the NFL draft approaches, and most of them have the Dallas Cowboys selecting an offensive player with their first-round pick. However, not everyone travels this road.
In their latest mock draft dedicated to using an analytical approach, Pro Football Focus has the Cowboys selecting another weapon for defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to deploy. The respected site has the Cowboys selecting Pittsburgh defensive tackle Calijah Kancey with the No. 26 pick.
An interior defensive lineman in the first is a difficult projection for the Cowboys, something they haven’t done since 1991, when they drafted DT Russell Maryland first overall, but Kancey is is worthy of the selection. Quinn loves to get pass rushers on the field and Kancey offers that ability and more.
The Cowboys have invested a lot into their edge room but are still lacking in the pass-rushing department from the interior. Kancey is widely considered the second-best pass-rushing defensive tackle in the draft behind Jalen Carter and would give Dallas an interior threat. Given that Dan Quinn stunts more than any defensive coordinator in the NFL, having an athletic defensive tackle like Kancey would create havoc for opposing offensive lines.
It’s an intriguing proposition for the Cowboys, who already have one of the best pass rushing teams in the league. Quinn’s unit finished the 2022 season tied for third in the NFL in sacks with 54, but that was without an elite interior pass rusher. Second-year man Osa Odighizuwa led all Dallas DTs in sacks last year with four, but the team had just five total sacks from the inside.
Kancey could be a valuable addition. He had 7.5 sacks last season and had 14.5 over the last two years of his collegiate career. He also added 27.5 tackles for a loss in his final two seasons at Pitt, becoming a unanimous All-American in 2022, as well as the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
The knock on Kancey is his measurables, he’s smaller than most teams prefer in their DTs. Listed at just 6-feet and 280 pounds, Kancey doesn’t let his size stop him from dominating. Kancey uses his stature to his advantage; he’s able to get lower than most offensive linemen, has a quick first step, an array of pass rush moves and uses power to win. Low man usually wins and Kancey is proof of that.
Finished up the Calijah Kancey:
I have no idea how he isn’t a consensus top 10 pick. If you run a 4-3 front, you should WANT him on your team.
His hand…
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