Inside the Article:
The Detroit Lions have a shot at drafting the next Aaron Donald in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft, according to Dane Brugler’s latest mock draft. The Lions currently have the No. 6 overall pick and the No. 18 overall pick, and Brugler has projected them to take DT Calijah Kancey out of Pittsburgh with the No. 18 pick.
Key Points:
- Calijah Kancey has been compared to Aaron Donald due to his size, playing style, and college affiliation.
- Kancey had a 91.8 overall grade this past season with a 92.4 pass-rushing grade and a 22% pass-rush win rate, which are all elite marks. He has been an elite disruptive force in college, just like Donald was.
- Kancey’s burst off the line and initial move can be so quick and decisive that linemen just can’t match it.
- The Lions could potentially land next Aaron Donald 2.0 in the draft by selecting Kancey, who has shown he can be an elite pass-rusher in college and has a lot of potential.
Could Detroit Lions land Aaron Donald 2.0?
Kancey has been compared to Aaron Donald due to his size, playing style, and college affiliation, and their athletic profile at the combine was remarkably similar. Kancey posted a 4.67-second 40-yard dash, just one-hundredth of a second faster than Donald, and their size is also comparable. Kancey’s comparisons to Donald are inevitable, but comparing anyone to the greatest defender the game has ever seen is unfair.
Kancey had a 91.8 overall grade this past season with a 92.4 pass-rushing grade and a 22% pass-rush win rate, which are all elite marks. He has been an elite disruptive force in college, just like Donald was. His quickness and explosiveness are evident on tape, and he wins similarly to Donald. Kancey’s burst off the line and initial move can be so quick and decisive that linemen just can’t match it. Interior linemen don’t have that kind of quickness, and tackles are often making up too much ground to execute their assignment to have any hope of really stopping him.
Bottom Line: Kancey would need to fall to No. 18
Kancey has shown he can be an elite pass-rusher in college, and the Lions could potentially land the next Donald 2.0 in the draft. While Kancey has been compared to Donald due to his size and playing style, Donald’s exceptional hand use and ability to shed blocks set him apart. Nonetheless, Kancey has a lot of potential and could be a valuable addition to the Lions’ defense. That being said, I don’t see the Lions taking Kancey at No. 6, so he would have to drop to No. 18.
