2023 NFL Draft: We would love Calijah Kancey on the Raiders too

The Las Vegas Raiders hold significant draft capital in the 2023 NFL Draft, and Calijah Kancey from Pitt could be a real target on Day 1 or 2.

The Las Vegas Raiders go into free agency with some big needs on the roster, and just as was the case last year, defensive tackle is one of them. David Ziegler and his staff used free agency and the NFL Draft to try to remedy the situation, but in the end, we are in the same spot as we were a year ago in terms of the position group.

Recently, the NFL hosted their Scouting Combine, and Pitt defensive tackle Calijah Kancey showed out. A standout player for the Panthers, Kancey’s Combine was in jeopardy due to an injury, but he went anyway and blew away the competition.

Now, firmly entrenched as at least a second-round pick, Kancey is going to be a draft steal, hopefully, one made by the Raiders. Speaking with Hondo Carpenter, who covers the Raiders for Sports Illustrated, Kancey stated he would love to put on the Silver and Black.

At the Combine, Kancey set the record 40-yard dash time with a 4.67, beating Aaron Donald’s record from back in 2014. Kancey has the size, speed, and athleticism that we once saw in another former Pitt defensive tackle in Donald, and while that kind of comparison is strong, this is a player who could come in and dominate the NFL landscape right away.

Raiders need to bolster the interior of the defensive line

If the Raiders were to get a player of Kancey’s talent, it would significantly upgrade a position group that is a major need this offseason. Las Vegas has an elite talent coming off the edge in Maxx Crosby, but the lack of a real force on the inside forces teams to double-team him on seemingly every play.

Las Vegas Raiders: Is David Ziegler in over his head as GM?

In his second offseason as the general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders, could David Ziegler possibly be in over his head?

Ziegler has the draft capital to get Kancey, and while No. 7 is way too high, maybe he can get back into the bottom of the first round if he is still available. This is a rare talent playing the defensive tackle position, and the time has come for this franchise to get the kind of game-changing defensive players around Crosby that can change the narrative of the Silver and Black being a below-average defensive team.