The NFL Scouting Combine started with a bang Thursday afternoon as history was made in the defensive line position group, the first one to go through drills. Pittsburgh Panthers defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, undersized for his position group at 6-foot-1, 281 pounds, broke the 40-yard dash record among defensive tackles with a lightning fast 4.67 seconds.
The fastest time recorded by a DT at the NFL Combine since 2003 (4.67).@Ckancey8 putting the league on watch.
— NFL (@NFL) March 2, 2023
📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
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Kancey's 4.67 40 time now stands as the official record since the NFL Network began officially tracking combine statistics and measurements in 2003. Naturally, the comparisons for him are going to drift toward the man whose defensive tackle 40-yard dash record time Kancey beat -- three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald -- another "undersized" defensive tackle out of Pittsburgh.
UPDATED: Fastest 40-yard dash times by a DT at #NFLCombine since 2000.
— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) March 2, 2023
1. Calijah Kancey - 4.67 ⏱
2. Aaron Donald - 4.68 ⏱#H2P » @NFL » @NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/HjBKdMw3Vc
Donald measured in at 6 foot, 3/4 inches while weighing 285 pounds at the 2014 combine. Donald's performance at the combine, in addition to the numerous accolades he stacked up in college, led to him being selected 13th overall in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Rams. Kancey hopes to join him as the only Pitt defensive linemen to be taken in the first round since 2000.
NFL combine comparison
| Calijah Kancey (2023) | Aaron Donald (2014) | |
|---|---|---|
Height | 6-1 | 6-0 3/4 |
Weight | 281 | 285 |
Arm Length | 30 5/8" | 32 5/8" |
Hand Size | 9 1/8" | 9 7/8" |
| 40-Yard Dash Time | 4.67* | 4.68 |
| Draft Pick | ??? | 13th |
* NFL combine record for defensive tackles
