Calijah Kancey had one final shot at showcasing his athleticism displayed at and raved about after the NFL Combine during Pitt's pro day Wednesday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
In front of scouts and personnel from all 32 NFL teams and four Canadian Football League teams, the hopeful first-round pick and former Pitt defensive tackle delivered.
He was as quick and twitchy as the record 40-yard dash he ran at the beginning of the month, and he sustained weight -- save for a couple of pounds -- into the final pre-draft showcase. He got off of the ball with the same vigor which turned him from a lesser-known prospect into a national force on the defensive side of the ball.
As he said after the workouts were over, he checked all of his boxes in the morning and midday sessions on the South Side.
"I feel great," Kancey said. "I feel like I checked all of the boxes, and I'm ready to go. ... My biggest goal entering today was just to come in and show the teams that I'm able to move and I've got the same size. (A height of) 6-1 is not fake, and I'm 280 (pounds). ... I know I've just got to keep improving, and not prove no one wrong. I've just got to keep improving."
Kancey began his trip around the complex in the weight room, where he measured at 6-foot-1, 283 pounds, the same height and two pounds heavier from his measurements taken at the NFL Combine. He did not participate in the bench press event inside the main facility, and moved over to the indoor practice field to begin his further tests.
His first event was the vertical jump, in which he improved his first leap with his second, eclipsing a 33.5-inch vertical on the far sideline of the practice field. He then moved onto the field for the broad jump, in which he jumped a 9-foot-2 and followed it with a 9-foot-4.
His vertical would have ranked second among interior defensive linemen which tested at the NFL Combine, trailing only Oklahoma defensive tackle Jalen Redmond's 34.5 inches. His broad jump would have tied for fourth among NFL Combine defensive tackles.
"They thought I was 5-10, I came in 6-1, 283," Kancey said. "I kind of surprised a lot of people."
That was half of the day for the unanimous All-American, whose 4.67-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine set the table for expectations entering Wednesday.
He did no run another 40-yard dash Wednesday, but he ran a 6.82-second three-cone drill and followed with a 4.33-second time in the short shuttle run, each time which Kancey said he was "satisfied" with.
That three-cone drill time would have tested as the fifth fastest overall at the NFL Combine, and it would have easily blown away the Oklahoma defensive tackle Redmond's time of 7.30 seconds as the fastest among interior defensive linemen.
That unofficially wrapped up the workout process for the first-round hopeful.
"I'm a great football player, a great leader," Kancey said. "I'm a guy that you can depend on."
Kancey is currently projected anywhere from 10th overall to the second round in mock NFL drafts. The Mock Draft Database, as of Wednesday, projects Kancey as the 24th rated prospect in the draft, with an average slotting of No. 18 overall to Detroit. The USA Today consensus mock draft has Kancey going to Jacksonville at No. 24 overall.
"It's a lot of teams that like me, I've just got to find someone who will fall in love with me," Kancey said ... "I wouldn't be disappointed (if he is not picked in the first round). It's going to happen, it's not going to happen, I don't know. We've got to see. They've got to come call my name."
Kancey turned in a defining 2022 season after which he was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and a unanimous All-American selection. He was the only player in Football Bowl Subdivision to be named a finalist for the Outland Trophy (nation’s best interior lineman) and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (national defensive player of the year).
Last season, Kancey had 31 total tackles, 14.5 for loss, and 7.5 sacks as he missed the final two games with a shoulder injury. He led all FBS interior defensive lineman in tackles for loss.
However, he sat out the last two games of the season with a shoulder injury, which he prioritized in his process in getting ready for the NFL Combine and the rest of his offseason.
"I think it was just a little bump in the road," Kancey said of his shoulder injury. "I know I had to hurry up and recover, focus on the shoulder. That was the main priority. That was the main thing. If I wasn't healthy, then I wouldn't even be in this position now, so I had to put more work into getting my shoulder together."
Kancey said if he is invited to the NFL Draft in Kansas City, Mo., then he would make the trip. But, until then, it's back to his training, a whole bunch of meetings, and putting the finishing touches on what is set to be the start of his career in the NFL.
"This process has been great," Kancey said. "Just seeing guys, meeting guys that I see on TV from watching the NFL on Sundays, I think it was a great experience, meeting guys in person, and also a lot of people don't get this opportunity, so I'm thankful."
MORE FROM PRO DAY
• Numerous Steelers personnel made the trek across the parking lot to attend the Pitt Pro Day: Assistant General Manager Andy Weidl, director of pro scouting Sheldon White, assistant director of pro scouting Dave Petett, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, wide receivers coach Frisman Jackson, running backs coach Eddie Faulkner, defensive backs coach Grady Brown, and a handful of other scouts.
None of the Pitt players which spoke after the Pro Day mentioned having meetings lined up with the Steelers. Kancey specifically said he does not have a plan to meet with the Steelers, which hold the 17th pick in the draft.
SirVocea Dennis gave a smile when asked if he has met with the Steelers.
"Right next door, neighbors. I haven't met with them, but I would love to," Dennis said.
• The second major takeaway from the Pro Day and the 14 prospects which tested was the widespread athleticism displayed.
Israel Abanikanda put to bed any questions of his burst -- yes, he said there were questions of it -- by clocking in an unofficial 4.34-second 40-yard dash while jumping vertically at 41 inches and delivering a 10-foot-8 broad jump. The vertical and broad jumps would have been the highest for all NFL Combine running backs, and his 40-yard dash time would have been second to Texas A&M's Devon Achane, who ran an official 4.32.
And then I timed a 4.31u for Abanikanda on his second attempt. #Pitt https://t.co/iR0NB52GgT
— Corey Crisan (@cdcrisan) March 29, 2023
Abanikanda measured at 5-foot-11, 217 pounds. He did not participate in the bench press, but did participate in everything else including the on-field drills Wednesday. He was invited to the NFL Combine, but did not participate in drills as he was nursing a hamstring injury. He reinforced Wednesday that he is "definitely" back to healthy.
"Today was just a day for me to show out," Abanikanda said. "I was motivated after not participating in the Combine, so I know today was a big day for me. I just wanted to show out. ... I want them to know that I'm dedicated, disciplined, humble on and off the field, and I'ma great player, great man, for sure."
• Jared Wayne might be considered as a "sleeper" player in this draft after his athleticism checked out at the Pro Day.
The wide receiver's vertical leap of 41.5 inches would have been the best for any wide receiver at the NFL Combine. He measured just under 6-foot-3 and at 209 pounds, which is exactly where he measured in at the Hula Bowl in mid-January. He added in an unofficial 40-yard dash time of 4.51 seconds.
"It was a solid day," Wayne said. "Came out here and showed what I had to show. I put in the work for this, and I feel like it was a solid day. Looking forward to the rest of this process, and just continuing to work. ... "(I'm) explosive. There's a stat, I led the Power Five receivers in gains over 20-plus yards, I think it was. That's my game, you know? I'm a guy that can go up and get it."
• Dennis' vertical, by the way, was also measured at 41.5 inches. It would have been the highest among linebackers at the NFL Combine by three inches. His unofficial 4.52-second 40-yard dash would have tied for sixth among Combine linebackers.
"I'm the type, it doesn't matter about proving people wrong; it's about proving myself right," said Dennis, who mentioned he had "a couple" meetings with undisclosed teams after the Pro Day workout. "I just wanted to go out here and know that I put my best foot forward and exceed expectations."
Pitt Pro Day 🛫 Vertical Jump@Sirvocea 41.5-inch leap 😮@JWayne_5 41.5-inch leap 😮@IAbanikanda 41-inch leap 😮
— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) March 29, 2023
All would've been the best at their positions at the @NFL Combine!
Watch 💻 https://t.co/av8qwwnsqx#H2P » @NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/A0XYN2UWOS
• Additionally, Marcus Minor put up 31 reps on the bench press. That would have tied for fourth among Combine offensive linemen.
Pitt Pro Day 💪 Bench Press
— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) March 29, 2023
Marcus Minor puts up 31 reps!
😤 @AyeeMarcus_ 😤#H2P » @NFLDraft » @NFL pic.twitter.com/8feMaLsDPo
