Calijah Kancey 40 time: Pitt DT draws comparisons to Aaron Donald after blazing fast NFL Combine run

Calijah Kancey received good news three weeks before the 2023 NFL Combine. He was 100 percent recovered from a shoulder injury that handicapped him towards the end of his time with Pitt.

That officially meant Kancey could compete in the 40-yard dash, a drill he was keen to partake in.

The defensive tackle had a particular goal in targeting the 40-yard dash as one of his best drills, according to Pitt trainer Pat Narduzzi said Bill Bender of Sporting News On Wednesday.

“He’s trying to break the Combine record for fastest D-tackle 40,” Narduzzi said. “He’s fast and quick and that shouldn’t surprise anyone.”

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Kancey was able to achieve this goal. He clocked an official time of 4.67 seconds in the 40-yard dash, which is good for the best defensive tackles since 2000.

Who did Kancey beat to get that time? That would be Pitt alumnus Aaron Donald.

Donald, a seven-time All-Pro and three-time Defensive Player of the Year, recorded a 40-yard dash in 4.68 seconds while participating in the 2014 NFL Combine. That helped cement him as the top first-round pick in his class.

Kancey could similarly bolster his stock at 40 years old. That doesn’t mean he’ll be as good as Donald at the next level, but his lightning-fast run was enough for him to earn comparisons with the surefire Hall of Famer.

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NFL Network was quick to draw the line between Kancey and Donald on its “Players Only Combine” live stream. The show pointed out that the two were similarly fast and undersized.

The broadcast has a point; Kancey’s and Donald’s metrics are nearly identical.

category	Calijah Kancey (2023)	Aaron Donald (2014)
Height	6-1	6-0 3/4
Weight	281	285
40 times	4.67	4.68
10-yard split	1.64	1.63

And as Pitt was quick to point out, the two also share an alma mater. They also have a relationship, and Kancey admitted Donald is one One of the defensive tackles he watches out for to refine his game.

Hence, it is easy to understand why the parallels between the two arose.

Others, of course, pointed out that comparing Kancey to a player like Donald might not be far-fetched. After all, Donald is arguably the greatest defensive player of his generation, while Kancey has yet to play a down in the NFL.

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Still, Kancey probably won’t mind the comparisons. They will only help improve his draft stash, which has already increased following his 7.5-sack season at Pitt.

And maybe by draft day on April 28, he’ll have worked his way into the top 15, much like Donald did in 2014.